WestWyck News

Two anemometers have appeared on the WestWyck site in September. These temporary wind measurement structures have been installed as part of a Melbourne-wide study of wind harvesting potential and we were pleased to offer up WestWyck as a test site. There may be another nine sites around Melbourne that are part of the same project, providing data on wind harvest potential. In the long term, the aim of the project is to provide better data about the performance of micro-wind generation facilities and where they can be placed in order to obtain maximum performance. This is an important piece of renewable energy research for Victoria and follows work done on small wind turbines in Europe.

WestWyck has two anemometers in place and the Alternative Technology Association (ATA) has chosen these sites to measure different types of wind harvest. If the results are favourable then WestWyck is keen to look at the applicability of different types of turbines for WestWyck Stage Two, but that’s another story and a long way off.

The ATA is conducting the tests in conjunction with the State Government and they have selected sites across the city to enable them to make a detailed wind resource assessment. These sites were selected and approved through a process agreed to by the State Government. The trial is in line with and supported by the Victorian Government’s Wind Energy Guidelines (2003).

These photos show the two anemometers, one sitting on the peak of the southern face of the former school building and the other located on the former playgrounds.

Labels: Anemometers, ATA, wind