By Rich Bowden:
Wind turbines have, in recent times, attracted negative publicity in Australia with a number of people living near wind farms reporting health problems as a result of the constant low level noise emitted by the three-bladed turbines. Consequently a number of anti-wind farm groups have been formed to oppose their construction. See here for a report in The Australian over an ongoing court case, which details typical allegations raised over this divisive issue.
However a radically new Australian design called the Eco Whisper Turbine has been developed with increased efficiency and reduced noise in mind. Rated at a 20kW capacity, the turbine is 23 metres high with 30 blades extending out from a 6.5 metre radius from the hub.
The company Eco Whisper Turbines is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Renewable Energy Solutions Australia Holdings Ltd. (RESA). Designed and manufactured in Australia, the innovative turbine is “…virtually silent,” said the company’s Business Development Manager Michael Le Messurier. “When standing underneath the turbine you cannot hear any noise even at high wind speeds,” he told EcoDirectory in an email exchange.
“The outer cowling/ring around the end of the blades prevents air from spilling off the tip of the blades,” explained Le Messurier adding that this was a “… major cause of noise of comparable three-bladed small wind turbines.”
Capable of generating enough power to service three or four homes or a small factory, the Eco Whisper Turbine has an ingenious slew drive mechanism which relays data to the control system and automatically points the turbine in the direction of the wind to increase efficiency.
Le Messurier was enthusiastic when asked if the Eco Whisper Turbine’s recent launch in Geelong, Victoria (as part of a collaborative effort with the City of Greater Geelong) could serve as a template for future co-operative deals.
“Yes definitely. Renewable Energy Solutions Australia Holdings Ltd (RESA) as the owner of Eco Whisper Turbines has received great support from The City of Greater Geelong for the launch. Council involvement is imperative for future installations of The Eco Whisper Turbine.”
He added that Austeng Engineering, the Geelong-based contractor which manufactured the Eco Whisper Turbine, had been “instrumental” in the development of the turbine.
The collaborative venture points to the small-scale target market aimed at by RESA for the Eco Whisper Turbines. “The Eco Whisper Turbine is suited for deployment in small scale wind farms, however not to the scale of the large wind farms you see in the country side,” he explained. He added the “prime target markets for the Eco Whisper Turbine are in smaller development sites” such as:
- Commercial, manufacturing and industrial sites
– Airports, Ports, Council sites and industrial parks and development sites
- Urban development sites – Shopping Centres, Industrial parks, Schools and Universities
- Remote sites – Mining Resource facilities, remote communities, off grid sites, farms
- Community ownership models
While operating in a different market than traditional three-bladed turbine designs, the company believe the Eco Whisper Turbine will be popular as it had overcome recurring concerns over wind turbines noise.
“To say it will replace traditional wind turbines is a bit far off the mark. We believe it will make a big impact in the market and change the way people perceive wind turbines in general as it addresses one of the key issues/concerns of councils, clients and consumers in operating virtually silently,” said Le Messurier. For further information, including technical specifications, see the RESA website here.
Rich is a writer and editor specialising in writing and posting social media for the green business sector. He is also founder/editor of theangle.org.
This article was originally published in EcoDirectory.
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