A Tale of Two Windfarms, Mt Barker vs Denmark
SkyFarming has been involved with both projects from conception to commissioning. We installed a monitoring mast on the Denmark site, helped with the planning, negotiated the electricity offtake with a retailer, coordinated with the various consultants, ran the tenders, purchased the turbines and project managed the construction of the windfarm. DCW Ltd is made up of a group of long time community members who have met monthly over the past decade to get the project in the ground. They were our clients. With Mt Barker, we had fully developed the project before raising the money for construction.
With the Denmark project now spinning, and Mt Barker with over two and a half years of operation, this is an opportunity to look at what is involved in installing small wind farms by comparing the two projects.
Similarities
What was similar about both projects apart from SkyFarming's involvement? Both consist of two to three 800kW Enercon wind turbines connected to Western Power's 22kV distribution network. Both managed to receive the Federal government grant from the Renewable Remote Power Generation Program where the deadline for applications was in September, 2006.
| Even the mobile cranes were the same Boom Logistics machines; a massive 16 wheel SWL 400 Tonne vehicle and the support, a still sizable SWL 80T mobile crane, below. |
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The differences are detailed below in three areas;
