Wind power group formed

Guardian News
Thursday 6/12/2007 Page: 1

Home owners around the Nambucca region aim to lead the way on the renewable energy front. A group of local people passionate about stopping climate change and becoming energy self-sufficient has formed the Yarrahapinni Wind Energy Association. The group is the brain-child of Yarrahapinni nursery owner Michael Jones and, in the beginning, will focus on providing information to the public about the advantages of using wind as a clean, natural energy source.

Eventually, Mr Jones said he would like to see the group facilitate wind turbines for people who want them to power their own homes, or form co-operatives to build turbines for neighbourhoods. "A lot of people in the Valley are worried about the consequences of abrupt climate change, which has been predicted to happen in the next 10 years, if nothing is done to change the way we produce energy," he said.

"Wind has been proved effective in generating power for other countries - Spain is producing more energy from wind now than from any other source," he said. "We have good resources, as far as wind is concerned, better than Spain." According to the `wind atlas', showing wind speeds around NSW, the Mid North Coast is prime energy-producing country, with steady, strong breezes.

Mr Jones said, ideally, the wind turbines would run through backward-running power meters, which would put the energy into the power grid. He said sometimes wind produces more than you need to run a home, and sometimes less. That system would allow users to still have access to the grid when needed, but substantially cut down on power costs. "With the rate batteries improving all the time, in a few years, it might be possible to have a completely stand-alone system, which would be great - no black-outs," he said.

The Yarrahapinni Wind Energy Association had a strong response at its first meeting in November, with people turning out from as far as Bellingen to discuss the possible use of wind in the future. Mr Jones said one of the objectives of the group would be to lobby all levels of government for financial assistance for the wind industry, including grants to set up turbines and feedback tariffs for wind-generated electricity. He already has a site picked out for his future `Whisper 500' wind turbine up on the top of his hill. He said it would produce 18 kilowatts a day, more energy than is needed in the average home.