C-PREP Ongoing R & D
The City of Victor Harbor signed a research and development agreement with the University of Adelaide in Dec 2009. This was done in conjunction with Council's C-PREP solar retrofit program. A weather station has been installed on the Civic Centre roof by University researchers. The station collects wind speed data, temperature, humidity, solar radiation and rainfall results and relays the information via computer link to the Centre for Energy Technology.
Part of our R&D effort is looking closely at Mike Davidson's locally designed and manufactured Savonius turbine. (see photo gallery) Data gathered by the weather station will be used to derive the turbine's optimum size and position It is hoped that it will suitable for the Fleurieu area and will be permitted to be deployed in urban and commercial areas. One of the turbines main benefits is that it is silent. It is also capable of scaling to produce enough energy for one house for one day, wind conditions allowing.
Mike together with some local electrical engineers, has also turned his hand to designing and building a more efficient generator and the University will also test this device. When all the test specifications and qualifications have been met it will be time to deploy the turbines into urban and domestic situations. If all goes well then VH may have its very own renewable energy manufacturing opportunity and the associated employment that goes with it.
The program's first results are expected in late March 2010.
City of Victor Harbor and C-PREP –
Renewable
power – proof of concept
The public response to cheaper PVPs has been robust. C-PREP addresses
climate change while simultaneously enabling job creation. The issue is how to
maintain the impetus now that Federal funding has ceased. Once the initial
program winds down it would be negligent to miss any follow-on economic
opportunities. C-PREP’s second initiative could be the design and construction
of a hybrid sol/wind “renewable energy unit” that could be deployed in all
council arenas and then scaled to allow - C-PREP Mk 2 - to add to the initial
ratepayer installed base - to edge the region towards grid parity and greatly
reduce the region’s carbon footprint.
Click her for Full Paper: C-PREP Ongoing R&D  (PDF 76 KB)
The Environment Institute
Listen to a case study presented by Roy Ramage.
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