Jonathan Whale

Community renewable energy projects are contributing diverse sustainability benefits in a transforming energy landscape, but in Western Australia, projects are few and far between and the state is being left behind in national policy discussions. Drawing upon a socio-technical framework which conceptualises the context of innovation journeys according to patterns in the context, we investigate Western Australia and its major electricity network as a site for community-driven renewable energy development. Our case-study analysis suggests that project development in Western Australia to date has survived in niche pockets, which have been unusually conducive to community energy development, in a context otherwise riddled with political, technical, and regulatory hurdles.

The use of small grid-connected wind turbines in the built environment is increasing. The international wind turbine design standard is based on open terrain sites, but in the built environment, the turbulence intensity is much higher than in open terrain and can lead to premature fatigue of turbines This paper compares the turbulence power spectral densities from direct measurement on the rooftop of Bunning Group Ltd’s warehouse at Port Kennedy, Western Australia, with predictions from the von Karman and Kaimal spectra used by turbulence models in the design standard. Both model spectra under estimate the magnitude of the measured values for all wind components although the Kaimal spectra provides more realistic values in terms of predicting the turbulence power spectra of lateral and vertical wind components in the built-environment. A corrected Kaimal model is proposed that has good agreement with measured values and can be viewed as a first step towards upgrading the existing standard with a dedicated design model for the built environment.

Implementing micro-hydro system (MHS) in a remote or rural location in an off-gridarea is a complicated process. Technical, social, economic andorganisationalissues need to be considered as well as the policy environment in which they are implemented. An understanding of the demand for electricity, of the benefits and impactsthat they can potentially have, as well as the roles of all stakeholders in the different stages of the MHS project, are also required. This paper presents the findings of a survey of stakeholders involved with two MHS projects in the highlands of Borneo. The survey results confirm that in order to ensure project success, particular attention needs to be paid to key critical factors. The performance and reliability of the MHSs were found to be strongly influenced by the role of the local micro-hydro management committee, and the relationship between the committee and the other members of the local community. The more successful schemes tended to be associated to more proactive committees that clearly informed the villagers about the issues of MHS and its sustainability. Other factors that were found to have an influence on project success were village cultural (which was related to the size villages) and the national energy policy framework in which the programs are planned and implemented.

Political uncertainty over global greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation policy is likely to defer investment in cleaner technologies. It may also incentivise short-lived, high-cost interim investments while businesses wait for the uncertainty to subside. The range of possible policy responses to the issue has created uncertainty over the future of national mitigation pathways. Given that the electricity sector, globally, is a major emitter of GHGs, this represents a systematic risk to investment in electricity generation assets. This paper uses a real options analysis framework informed by a survey of experts conducted in Australia - used as a proxy to model the degree of the uncertainty- to investigate the optimal timing for investment in the conversion of a coal plant to a combined cycle gas turbine plant using the American-style option valuation method. The effect of market and political uncertainty is studied for the Clean Energy Act 2011 in Australia. Political uncertainty is addressed bimodally in terms of: (1) uncertainty over the repeal of the carbon pricing policy, and (2) if it is repealed, uncertainty over the reinstatement of the policy, to represent the effect of electoral cycles and the possibility of more stringent future global mitigation efforts. Results of the analysis show that although political uncertainty with respect to GHG mitigation policy may delay investment in the conversion of the coal plant, expectations over the reinstatement of the carbon pricing reduces the amount of option premium to defer the conversion decision.

The global growth in small wind turbine (SWT) markets and in the number of SWT manufacturers has brought about an urgent need for more rigorous testing of SWTs in order to ensure safety, reliability and performance. The National Small Wind Turbine Centre (NSWTC) was established in August 2008 to test and label turbines in the range 1 kW – 5 kW, in order to help the development of the SWT industry in Australia and abroad. In February 2010, an NSWTC turbine test site was established at Henderson, Western Australia. The aim of this study was to model the wind resource at the NSWTC test site to give insight into the scope and scheduling of power performance testing at the site. National and international SWT performance standards were reviewed in order to assess the completion requirements for testing. Wind modelling was carried out using the wind atlas model, WAsP, in order to predict the long-term wind resource at the site. The results of the modelling were used to develop spreadsheets to guide the NSWTC in planning their program of testing. This work proved valuable in developing a tool that can provide recommendations on turbine selection and suitable months for testing. The predictions from the tool are compared with the experience of testing the SOMA 1000 wind turbine, the first turbine to be tested at the site. The results show that although a power performance curve can be completed to standard in a few months, testing of 1-2 years is advisable to reduce uncertainty with power values at high wind speeds.

Rural electrification is a significant component of economic and sustainable development strategies for many countries. However in remote rural areas, utilisation of local natural energy resources is often both economically and technically more feasible than extending a national grid. The results of initial field research into the role of micro hydro electricity generation in the Lawas District of Sarawak, Malaysia are reported in this paper. Site visits, energy audits, questionnaires and interviews were undertaken to explore how micro hydropower systems could assist rural villages obtain electricity. The respondents in these remote villages want the government to deliver more projects which harness local free renewable energy to meet their needs for electricity. Small “ad hoc” projects from a variety of proponents have had mixed results. To deliver a sustained electricity supply that meets the community’s needs, a micro hydro project needs to be planned carefully, addressing potential points of failure before the project is implemented.

A survey of technical support has been carried out in order to assess the viability of widespread deployment of locally-made capillary wind pumps (PKMs) in the Mesuji-Tulang Bawang (MTB) subdistrict of Lampung, Indonesia. A list of desirable equipment for a facility was constructed by assessing the types of machinery that would be required in the event of failure of the various PKM components. Ten facilities in the region of the MTB were selected for the survey on the basis of their general experience in metal working and metal forming. The results of the survey showed that only 2 out of the 9 respondents had the equipment required to manufacturer/repair all the component groups of the PKM design, and even these facilities would have to outsource work for any part of the component group that required high precision machining. The results of the survey also show that a significant proportion of the workshops do not have accredited training programs, adequate calibration procedures and regular suppliers. Workshop managers are targeting three priority areas for improvement: inventory procedures, work safety standards and efficiency of operations. A set of key criteria, related to the provision of technical support for the PKM program, have been established and each facility was ranked against this set of criteria. The results of this analysis show that the Berkah, Dinamika Jaya workshops and the BLK Institute are in the best position to provide technical support to the PKM program, with the possibility of training being offered by Production Unila.

This paper reviews results from recent surveys on small wind electricity generating systems facilitated by the Western Australian Local Government Association (WALGA) together with outcomes from a WALGA/Murdoch University Small Scale Wind Workshop and results from an internet search of materials related to Federal, State and International small wind power system policy. The results point to an increase in interest in small wind electricity generation systems in Western Australia (WA) that is reflected in estimates of installed small wind power system capacity based on Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) created since 2007. However, even with this growth, installed small wind power system capacity pales in comparison to installed small solar PV capacity despite the State of WA having both a strong wind and a strong solar resource. At a Federal level, there is a disparity between incentives given to wind and solar systems and the authors raise concerns with the current calculation of RECs for small wind power systems. At a State level, cost and planning regulations are identified as central barriers to small wind power systems. This paper suggests that improved and dedicated State policy for small wind electricity generating systems can address both of these barriers in WA.

In August 2008, the Federal government announced funding for a National Small Wind Turbine Centre (NSWTC) to be operated by the Research Institute of Sustainable Energy (RISE), based at Murdoch University in Perth, Western Australia. The aim of the NSWTC is to promote the small wind turbine (SWT) market and industry in Australia by providing services in the areas of Testing, Standards and Labelling, Professional Development and Training, and Research. This paper summarises the work that has been carried out to date by the NSWTC in the area of Standards and Labelling. Existing certification and labelling schemes for SWTs are summarised and an overview is given of the NSWTC participation in the International Energy Agency (IEA) Task 27, a task aimed at research that will advance standards, improve the quality of SWT testing around the globe and lead to an international consumer label for SWTs. Options for certification and labelling for the emerging Australian SWT industry are analysed and the idea of introducing an Australian consumer label for SWTs is discussed.

In July 2007 Murdoch University was awarded a grant to conduct research into ‘Initiating Best Practice Guidelines for Rooftop Wind Systems.’ The current focus of the project involves two primary initiatives: a computer simulated modeling exercise and an onsite rooftop wind monitoring station. This paper focuses on the methodology and justification for developing the monitoring station. An ultrasonic three-dimensional anemometer was chosen as the key piece of equipment in order to be able to collect data at a fast scanning rate (ensuring a suitable level of detail for analysis of turbulence) and to develop a three-dimensional wind profile. The wind regime on a rooftop in the complex terrain of the built environment is highly dynamic, turbulent, and includes a strong vertical component. Site selection for turbines must be informed by a proper feasibility study involving accurate data. The initial phase of the project to predict the resource and deploy the monitoring station has been completed, however long-term data collection, additional modeling, and the development of guidelines is still in process.