Renewables:
Wind Energy
EnergyAustralia Wind
Wind energy is a clean and safe source of renewable
energy. There are many wind farms operating in
EnergyAustralia is involved in wind farm projects
Australia which already generate electricity into
that deliver clean energy to its customers. These
the national power grid.
projects include:
Generating electricity
• Ownership of the Waterloo wind farm near the
Clare Valley in South Australia
The blades of the wind turbine are rotated by the
wind. The blades in turn rotate the main shaft of
• A 50 per cent share in the Cathedral Rocks wind
the turbine which is connected to an electrical
generator. Through gearboxes, the generator
farm near the southern tip of the Eyre Peninsula
A
C
converts kinetic energy of the spinning turbine
shaft into electricity.
in South Australia
D
• A pipeline of development opportunities located
E
Cables connect the generators to the electricity
in South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales.
grid, where it can be used by households
and businesses.
Useful links
Small turbines used to power a single home or
business may have a capacity of less than 100
B
How Stuff Works
kilowatts. Some large commercial-sized turbines
http://science.howstuffworks.com
F
may have a capacity of 5 million watts,
Kid Wind Project
or 5 megawatts.
http://learn.kidwind.org
Larger turbines are often grouped together in rows
at ‘wind farms’ that provide power to the electrical
grid. Before a wind farm is developed, the site is
monitored to measure the amount of wind that
occurs at that location. Turbines are generally
located along ridgelines and coastal areas to
A
Turbine blades
D
Gearbox
EnergyAustralia Pty Ltd
maximise the wind captured.
B
Mast
E
Generator
C
Turbine shaft
F
Transmission cable
ABN 99 086 014 968
Locked Bag 14060
Melbourne VIC 8001
Energy Information Sheets
Renewables:
Solar Energy
Solar energy is a form of renewable energy which
PV cells are made of semiconductors , such as
crystalline silicon or various thin-film materials.
A single cell can produce very tiny amounts
B
F
C
is based on harnessing energy from the Sun. Solar
appliances such as watches and calculators.
A
energy can be used in two different ways: as a heat
Solar Thermal
A large number of single cells connected by wires
forms the basis of a solar panel. You might notice
source (solar thermal) and as an electricity source
(photovoltaic).
of electricity – enough to run small electronic
small panels on the side of the road to power
E
portable construction signs or atop houses where
D
the electricity generated by the panel can be used
to power a whole household. These solar panels
The sun’s heat can be captured by a number
can also be used for large scale solar plants
of different collectors and turned into hot water.
to generate electricity for the electricity grid.
This heat can be used for applications such hot
How is solar
energy captured?
water systems and swimming pools.
Flat plate collectors are most commonly used
around the home to generate a heat source.
These flat plate collectors hold the water to be
heated, trapping and using the sun’s heat to raise
the water temperature to about 70 degrees Celsius.
Because dark colours absorb more heat than light
A Solar thermal
D Solar power inverter
flat plate collectors
Most houses using solar panels in Australia remain
connected to the main electricity grid that services
B Hot water storage tank
E Two-way meter
C Photovoltaic solar panels
F Electricity grid
their area. This is important, because if there are
megawatt (MW) solar power station known as the
EnergyAustralia Mallee Solar Park. The facility will
use proven photovoltaic (PV) technology and will
be able to generate emission-free electricity for
more than 60,000 Victorian homes with clean
energy for more than 20 years.
If this project secures government support, the
plant will avoid more than 11 million tonnes of
CO2 emissions over its life, which is equivalent
to removing 142,000 cars from Victorian roads.
Useful links
CSIRO
http://www.csiro.au/org
Make it solar
electricity from the grid via an electricity distribution
http://www.makeitsolar.com
line to sustain their energy usage needs. If the solar
black to absorb as much heat from the sun as
panel creates more electricity than the house uses,
possible, which then heats the water circulating
AC electricity is what is distributed around the power
this can be fed back to the grid for use by other
through the panel to high temperatures.
grid and powers appliances in homes and businesses.
households in the area.
Photovoltaic Systems
Solar panels can commonly be seen on the rooftops
Sunlight can be converted directly to electricity by a
are generally placed on the north (or in some cases
photovoltaic cell (PV) – or solar panel. PV cells produce
west) side of roofs, in order to maximise the amount
Direct Current (DC), similar to what is produced by
of sunlight the panel is exposed to. This allows the
a battery. This can be converted into Alternating
panel to absorb the maximum amount of the sun’s
Current (AC) by using a device known as an Inverter.
radiation and convert it to an electrical current.
Energy Information Sheets
EnergyAustralia is proposing to build a 180
any shortfalls in solar supply, the house can draw on
colours, the collector surfaces are usually painted
of houses. In the Southern Hemisphere, Solar panels
EnergyAustralia Solar
Energy kids
http://205.254.135.7/kids
Fast Fact
Australia has the highest average
solar radiation per square metre of
any continent in the world.^
www.cleanenergyfuture.gov.au
^
EnergyAustralia Pty Ltd
ABN 99 086 014 968
Locked Bag 14060
Melbourne VIC 8001