Small Wind Turbine Test Centre

The RISE Small Wind Turbine Test Centre will be in operation in 2009 and will test small wind turbines (up to 50kW) in accordance with recommended testing practices being developed by the International Energy Agency. The Centre will implement wind turbine labeling similar to the Energy Rating Labels of household electrical appliances. This ensures wind turbines satisfy safety, performance and noise requirements. Murdoch’s small wind turbine expert Dr Jonathan Whale, who sparked the idea for the Centre, said the Centre could lead the way in national standards development, training and accreditation for small wind turbine systems.

The proposed new Test Centre will be the only one of its kind in Australia and will be a one-stop-shop for wind turbine/inverter combinations in terms of certification, standards and training. To achieve this, RISE will build a new field test facility, increase the testing capability of the RISE laboratory and engage in international projects dealing with small wind turbines. The timing of the new Test Centre is important considering the rapidly increasing interest in small wind turbines for domestic rooftop use. With no safety and performance standards, product failure in a built environment could severely damage the reputation of the small wind turbine industry and prevent future uptake. Internationally, the small wind turbine community is developing new recommended testing and labeling practices and developing this field test capability will give RISE a unique position for international small wind turbine testing.

The Project Visionary and Technical Advisor of the project, Dr Jonathan Whale, has a long history with wind energy research at Murdoch University and with the international wind energy community. His vision is to build the certification capability to support the Australian small wind turbine industry, increase accessibility of small wind turbines for remote and regional Australia, improve standards and encourage the uptake of small wind turbines in residential areas.

"Murdoch is ideally positioned to lead the way in this area given its 10-year experience in testing wind turbines and links with international standards and testing agencies," Dr Whale said. "As RISE has the only National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) accredited laboratory for renewable energy power inverters in Australia, the new Centre will be the only one of its kind and will be a one-stop-shop for wind turbine and inverter combinations in terms of certification, standards and training". "By working together with the International Energy Agency, the Centre will test small wind turbines to standard and provide both manufacturers and end users with a design review of the turbine and credible performance data."

(L-R) Prof. David Harries, Director RISE, Prof. John Yovich AM, Vice Chancellor Murdoch University, The Hon. Peter Garrett MP, Dr. Jonathan Whale, Murdoch University lecturer & wind expert. Pictured at the RISE Outdoor Test Area, 12 August 2008.

Minister Garrett said the Small Wind Turbine Test Centre would develop a stronger small wind turbine industry in Australia. "There is increasing interest in small wind turbines for homes and farms, particularly in remote areas. This testing facility will provide consumer confidence in wind technology as well as enhancing our understanding of the potential for this type of technology, not only in remote areas but more broadly as a means of reducing energy consumption and carbon pollution" Mr Garrett said.

To see a video of Peter Garrett’s announcement at RISE go to the YouTube Video "Developing a stronger small wind turbine industry"

Sustainable Transport Research

RISE took the lead in submitting the application to the WA State Government for funding for CREST (Centre for Research into Energy for Sustainable Transport). RISE regards transport energy as an important energy-related issue at the international, national and regional level. Transport is a crucial issue in the modern world. It is essential for bringing goods to the global marketplace and it underpins the prosperity of major nations like Australia. However, modern transport systems are beset by major problems including oil depletion, air pollution and climate change. Australia's economy is resource-based and it is particularly vulnerable to rising fuel prices and greenhouse gas emission contraints. Australia has the capacity and a need to be actively involved in trialing and demonstrating these technologies in order to:

• facilitate their uptake in Australia,
• gain an understanding of the new technologies and their applicability to Australia as they develop and;
• develop an understanding of the associated safety, regulatory and other requirements required for the adoption of these fuels and technologies.

RISE already has an active involvement in the national and international debate on alternative transport fuels and technologies and is looking forward to the continued development of the Centre for Research into Energy for Sustainable Transport.

Perth Fuel Cell Bus Project

The Perth Fuel Cell Bus Project (Ecobus) involved operating three fuel cell buses in the Perth public transport system for a period of three years (2004-2007).

Murdoch University developed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Department of Planning and Infrastructure of the Government of Western Australia to undertake a number of research projects associated with this trial.

RISE was involved in two of the research projects from the Perth Fuel Cell Bus Trial that were under the supervision of Dr Trevor Pryor. These were:

• The Bus Operations Project
  This project involved a PhD student and focused on the operation of the buses and how the data obtained would impact the cost-benefit analysis of the project.  A cost-benefit analysis was conducted on the operation of fuel cell buses compared to diesel and natural gas buses.  Regular data was collected on the operation of the buses and the data was then fed into the larger CUTE (Clean Urban Transport for Europe) project, of which the Perth trial was a part.


• The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Project
  Involved an MPhil student and focused on applying the GaBi software to undertake a series of scenario analyses. The LCA model for this work was developed and a number of scenarios were investigated.

Research Publications