Canty wind potential shown

Press, 11 January 1986, Page 7

Canty wind potential shown

Winds on the Canterbury Plains could generate about 20 per cent of New Zealand’s electricity supply, according to the latest report of the New Zealand Energy, Research and Development Committee.

However, to realise this potential, thousands of wind turbines would have to be installed throughout Canterbury, where the average wind speed is between six and seven metres a minute.

According to the report’s authors, Dr Neil Cherry, of the Agricultural Engineering Department at Lincoln College, and Dr Vere Smyth, formerly of Lincoln College, about 4800 turbines with a capacity of 17,500 mega-

watts could supply about 105 petajoules annually.

In spite of its potential, wind-generated electricity would not be economically viable at present, according to Dr Smyth. The high cost of constructing and installing wind turbines, and the unreliability of the r wind meant that wind-generated electricity could not compete with present methods of electricity generation.

Dr Smyth said wind-gen-eration might come into its own in 50 years, when oil supplies had begun to run out.

The report completes the second and third phases of a study by Dr Cherry and Dr Smyth from 1978 to 1982.

It describes research on the seasonal and day-to-day characteristics of wind in Canterbury. In phase two, Dr Cherry collected data from sites in and beyond Canterbury using anemographs to record the direction and force of the wind. This supplemented long-term wind data collected by the Meteorological Service. The aim of the study was to increase understanding of wind energy in Canterbury, and to enable it to be used. The study found that on the Canterbury Plains the best areas for siting clusters of turbines (wind farms) were the northern and southern coastal zone, the lowland sites such as the eastern plains and river valleys, and-elevated sites such as Banks Peninsula and the North and South Canterbury plains.

These had possible wind turbine sites for 4800 generators — more than half of which would be on lowland zones.

Wind speeds on the plains were generally lower and less consistent than on elevated sites. Turbines would produce less in winter.

Production could be maintained by the , turbines 'on elevated sites where the

wind speed was generally higher and more consistent all year.

Phase three of the report revealed a significant wind energy resource above the tops of trees over the Canterbury Plains. The trees would be within the . reach of modern large wind turbines. '

The study had produced no surprises, said Dr Smyth. “New Zealand is a fairly windy place judging by world standards,” he said. Many people thought it would be good for wind energy. It was . the details of where and how this wind energy could best be used that were most interesting. Results taken from sites throughout New Zealand indicated that there was no time when there was not wind.

If a network of wind farms were installed, electricity production could be consistently maintained, he said.

Thousands of wind turbines might riot pollute the ■environment, • but they would have a visual impact. People would probably grow accustomed to the turbines in the same way they now appeared to accept the power pylons which dominated some rural vistas.

The wind turbines, with their tall slender tubular poles topped by two slowly rotating propellers, would not be too unattractive, he said.

In some areas they could also have their advantages, taking up little ground space and providing windbreaks.

A report on the final phase of the study, based on data from the Meteorological Service and electricity distribution authorities, will be complete in six months. The study was funded by the New Zealand Energy, Research and Development Committee and the Ministry of Energy.