Wind power performs exceptionally well in coastal regions, where ocean winds are constant and reliable. In our local region, our distance from the coast and our mountainous alpine landscape make winds very unpredictable. We experience a range of still days through to gale force winds, meaning it is almost impossible to rely on wind power alone.

However, if you are running an off-grid system, wind power can still be used as a welcome supplement to your solar array, particularly if you don’t have access to running water to create a hydro generation system.

When used as a supplementary supply, wind power can be advantageous. It can provide you with energy when your solar array is unable, thus improving the overall reliability of your system. This is particularly useful at night, when your solar array is not generating at all. This secondary backup gives your system the ability to maintain power when the solar array might not have been able to keep up.

Wind turbines require open space, which is fairly flat, in order to be efficient. Trees, buildings, and extreme terrain can interfere with natural wind flow, resulting in less predictable wind patterns and subsequently lower power output.

Whilst historical information is available on the internet from agencies such as the Bureau of Meteorology, this data can’t be taken as concrete evidence for the viability of a site. Our beautiful alpine landscape has many contours and natural features which can drastically change the wind flow received, even if it is in close proximity to a site measured by the BOM.

The safest method for viability assessment is the acquisition of site specific data. This involves installing a wind meter at the proposed site over a long period of time, ideally a year, then reviewing the data trend at the conclusion of the study. This will provide an extremely accurate insight into the theoretical performance of a wind turbine at the proposed location.

If you already own a weather station that measures both wind speed and direction, and would like to commence your own investigation, you need to ensure your system can capture and save your data. Please contact us so we can ensure you have everything setup correctly, so you don’t get any nasty surprises of invalid data at the conclusion of your long data gathering period!