Green power could be a money spinner

South Coast Register
Monday 17/9/2007 Page: 7

A Bomaderry engineering firm is developing domestic-use wind turbines to generate sustainable energy. And the firm claims if products like its own take off, it would lessen the need to build expensive and dirty power stations. Private Parts Pty Ltd has been working closely with Shoalhaven City Council to develop commercially viable home-use wind energy generators.

Their tests have shown that on an average day the turbines can generate more than half the energy the standard household consumes each day. While the product is still in development, and trials throughout the Shoalhaven pending on council approval, Private Parts director Roly Dixon said one thing was certain. "It these domestic wind turbines were taken up by a good percentage of the population, it would make a massive difference to the need to build power stations," he said.

Mr Dixon said the turbines produce a renewable resource, are twice as efficient as solar power and could each reduce carbon emissions by 3.5 tonnes a year. "We're obviously doing it for commercial reasons, but I believe in it," he said. We know it will never totally replace the other methods of electricity generation, but it could form an important part of the Mr Dixon said the turbines have been designed to operate silently at all wind speeds, and he hoped to see the product used everywhere.