Environmentally friendly solar and wind power

The reliable supply of power (electricity) in aquaculture is vital. Quantity is adjustable but continuity is difficult to guarantee. With this in mind, most remote operations opt for diesel powered generators and finance permitting, install several generators ensuring correct loading and back up.

At Ocean Park, diesel power is minimised with the use of solar and wind power. All buildings are lit with simple 12 volt solar power. Water is pumped from pond to pond by custom designed pumps driven directly by wind power and electricity is produced by a custom built wind turbine working in conjunction with diesels.

The past 100 years have instilled in most people the notion that kinetic energy is only achieved by burning something, be it coal, gas, petrol, wood and more recently methane and hydrogen. Any reserve of potential heat, especially fossil fuel is convenient due to its concentration, where as solar and wind power is dilute and difficult, respectively to harvest.

Both are expensive — initially. Stop to think — when we pay our $1.00AUS that “entitles” us to burn 1 litre of fuel, we have paid the tax and the oil companies, but the environmental cost goes "on the slate".

Of course we all have to carry on our lives and today fossil fuel is an integral part, but the first step in the quest to run on natural power is to reduce our consumption.