Wind Farms in New Zealand

By Richard Moore

Wind farms abound in New Zealand, providing residents with pollutant free electricity (images courtesy of TikiTouring.co.nz)

In these days of horrendous fuel prices and rising concerns about energy usage, more folk are turning their eyes towards sustainable sources of power.

We've got solar power developing along nicely, hydro-electric dams to help light our cities - but there is one area that seems to be having more problems and that is wind power.

For some reason people object to having wind farms - complete with giant wind turbines - near their properties.

Around the world wind turbine farms provide electricity to millions of people and generate billions of dollars.

There are some 55,000 wind turbines in operation across the globe and they are part of the fastest growing renewable energy source. By 2020 it is estimated 12% of the world's energy will come from wind.

In Australia there are 27 wind farms capable of powering a city the size of our capital, Canberra. By 2010 it is thought wind power will be capable of providing electricity to 2.3 million homes.

On a recent trip through the central part of New Zealand's North Island we came across the biggest wind farms in the southern hemisphere and they looked utterly spectacular.

The farms are on Saddle Rd. near Woodville and straddle the Tararua mountain range north of Palmerston North. In all there are 158 of the 70 metre high turbines and they sit like giant children's windmills on the horizon.

They look amazing from a distance but you can drive right up under one and get to experience just how phenomenal they are.

The triple blades on these giants are 35 metres long and spin around with a fantastic whooshing sound that really piques the senses. That's the only noise you hear and you wonder why people would object to such a sensibly green energy option.

Each of the turbines can produce 1.65 megawatts of power, enough to cover the needs of up to 900 average homes.

Electricity is created when the winds spins the rotor blades and that, in turn, drives the turbines that generate electricity.

Each triple blade unit can rotate at up to 17 times a minute, although that does depend upon the wind speed. They are electronically controlled by computers that monitor their performance and the current conditions and if the winds get too high then the turbines will be automatically shut down.

The farmland they are on covers just over 1100 hectares and to our way of thinking the wind turbines were not eyesores but majestic machines.

Some older turbines can make a bit more noise than the ones at Te Apiti - often described as tonal or musical - but the newer models have a soothing appeal that is hard to describe.

I can just picture them along the gusty southern coast of Australia where they would not only be a tourist attraction but would greatly help us reduce our energy consumption and boost our chances of keeping under the greenhouse gas emission levels put forward by the Kyoto Protocol.

They may be efficient, but they still look fantastic!

The car park for Te Apiti is on Saddle Rd between Woodville and Ashurst and is open between 8.30am and 5.00pm every day. It is a site well worth taking time out to see.

Links:
NZ Wind Energy Association