Harnessing wind and sun

Eastern Riverina Chronicle
Wednesday 17/1/2007 Page: 5

Harnessing wind and sun to totally supply their electricity needs has been a satisfying experience for new residents at the Holbrook Airpark, Ken and Jill Hamilton. Locals passing by the airport noticed their solar tracking panel facing towards the sun and true to the country way, wanted to know what was going on there.

Ken and Jill who hail from Red Bluff near Tangambalanga, were happy to explain. Building the hangar 12 months ago on one of the new northern blocks, they recently completed their 10 square onebedroom unit next to the hangar. Ken, a concreter and Jill, a waitress at the Commercial Club Albury came to Holbrook because they wanted to semi-retire and do more flying.

It started with parachuting. "I liked that so decided to take flying lessons at Holbrook about four years ago," Ken said Half way through his flying course,"Ken came home one day and said I've brought a plane. You haven't," Jill replied,"but he had:' A light-wing two-seater ultralight that cruises at 75 knots.

Settling in at the Holbrook Air park, Ken and Jill have erected solar panels at ground level and a small wind turbine on the roof of the hangar. "I put the wind turbine there to see how windy it is and whether it was worth putting up a bigger one," Ken said. "This year the weather has been unreal for wind - the wind turbine has been operating a minimum of 12 hours a day and along with the solar panel, feeds into a battery bank.

"A regulator ensures not too much charge goes into the bank and cooks the batteries. The battery bank consists of 12 batteries each one weighing 140kg and storing four volts in each. This energy goes"into an inverter that turns the 48 volt battery bank into a 240 power supply." Ken said,"the solar panels have two electronic eyes which track the sun during the day until sunset and then turns east to pick up the sun at daybreak.

The solar panels and wind turbine cost $30,000 minus a government rebate of $4,000. Initially, it has cost a lot more than the outlay to get an electricity supply from Country Energy. Their hangar was about 110 metres away from the power pole - and it was to cost $13,000 to run it underground plus $2,000 to have an easement surveyed.

As it stands, the solar panels and wind,turbine provides more than sufficient energy to run their hangar and home plus any electrical tools they wish to use and an extra week's supply of energy.

Ken and Jill have friends with two children who obtain their total energy needs for their home from the solar panel. "Being independent is appealing and the initial cost is the only cost." Ken and Jill said.