Monday 8 November 2010

Company rides the wind to take out capital's top award

Canberra Times
Friday 29/10/2010 Page: 19

Spectacular global growth over the past four years has enabled an ACT company to ride out uncertainty around a carbon price and win Canberra's top business accolade. Technology developed in Canberra has made Windlab Systems a world expert in measuring wind and one of Australia's fastest growing businesses. The company locates economically, socially and environmentally acceptable sites for wind farms in Australia and overseas. Last night Windlab Systems received the Canberra Business Council's business achievement award for 2010.

Chief operating officer Luke Osborne said company turnover was growing by 100% annually, but it hadn't escaped the impact of political uncertainty in environmental policies. "We're subject to the slight vagaries of the political pendulum around carbon pricing and so forth. "We have been lucky to grow into a lot of markets so we can smooth those booms and busts out that unfortunately has characterised the industry on the back of government He said legislation for large scale renewable energy targets supported Windlab Systems's operation. "Even without a carbon price, we're investing in Australia, it's a good place and a carbon price will help. It will make our dirty competitors less competitive".

Windlab Systems is expanding from information technology into preparing wind farms for construction. From only three staff in 2004 its Canberra headquarters now has 14 staff. It has other offices throughout the world. Windlab Systems prospects for and develops wind power sites in Canada, the United States and South Africa, as well as Australia. A computer cluster in Windlab Systems's Barton office continuously performs atmospheric calculations which help locate viable wind sites around the world.

Mr Osborne said the wind farm industry was risky because only one in 10 sites investigated was ever constructed. The biggest risk was the wind resource and Windlab Systems was the best at understanding the resource. Windlab Systems's development portfolio has more than 5000MWs of projects at various stages of development around the world. Mr Osborne did not expect the company's spectacular growth to continue as it developed a wider base, but it would develop into a substantial business.

The business achievement awards, sponsored by The Canberra Times and ActewAGL Energy, recognise ACT and regional businesses that demonstrate business excellence and make a positive contribution to the ACT and regional economies. Business council chief executive Chris Faulks said Windlab Systems had a strong presence in Canberra, with technical services and research and development divisions.

"Together with the other finalists, Windlab Systems demonstrates that Canberra is uniquely positioned as Australia's smartest city with an extremely innovative, export-oriented business environment", Ms Faulks said.

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