WestWind Energy is run by multi-disciplinary skilled professionals with a desire to use their technical skills to improve the environment and operate a financially sustainable business at the same time. The power from the wind and the sun can be used cost efficiently to generate electricity at small and large scales.
These attributes make it possible to build utility scale renewable energy power stations as well as industrial and commercial embedded generation projects. The resulting emissions-free electricity, contributes significantly towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Utility-Scale Wind Farms
WestWind Energy has already developed a number of wind farm sites in Australia. These sites feature a good wind resource, close proximity to the national electricity grid and are located in areas that are not ecologically sensitive.
The company’s first development, Mt Mercer Wind Farm, was acquired as a green field site by New Zealand’s Meridian Energy in 2009. Today 64 Senvion MM92 wind turbines are spinning at Mt Mercer, with an installed capacity of approximately 130MW the wind farm produces enough electricity to power more than 70,000 average homes.
Two further developments, Moorabool Wind Farm (350MW) and Lal Lal Wind Farm (216 MW) have been developed, permitted and sold in 2016 and 2017.
In late 2018 WestWind received the planning permit for the Golden Plains Wind Farm and is currently undertaking detailed design work, prior to construction.
For more information on WestWind Energy’s projects go to the Projects section
Commercial & Industrial-Scale
While there is significant policy uncertainty in Australia around utility scale renewable energy, the cost of delivered electricity for the end user is often higher than the cost of renewable energy generation on an electricity consumer’s site (‘behind the meter’).
This has led WestWind Energy into the grid connected commercial and industrial renewable energy generation sector, where many project opportunities justify the development of renewable power generation, typically using solar power. In some cases, these projects are viable today without any monetary recognition of the clean credentials of renewable energy.
WestWind’s extensive experience in the project development of large wind farms is paying dividends when negotiating with utilities, network service providers or electricity retailers on behalf of industrial clients for grid connected on-site generation projects. It is also invaluable in negotiations with suppliers of equipment and services.
Island Solutions & Micro-Grids
Australia has numerous “islanded” micro grids in its remote areas. These supply remote towns, mines, defence facilities, resorts or research stations, to name just a few. Many of those micro grids rely on Diesel or gas fired electricity generation and the cost of that generation is significantly higher than the cost of electricity from large centralised power stations that supply the national electricity grid.
In many instances a significant proportion of that generation – or indeed all of it – can be replaced with electricity generation using solar or wind power or both. The economic benefits of replacing Diesel generation with renewable generation are obvious when looking at the current cost of energy.
WestWind Energy has established a thorough understanding of the costs and technology challenges and together with its suppliers the company undertakes feasibility studies, design specifics, optimised solutions and works with its clients on financing options. The experience gained from the development, finance and EPC delivery of wind energy projects is also very helpful for the delivery of these types of power generation projects and their integration into a micro grid.