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Electricity distribution company Vector has started importing micro wind turbines from Scotland for trials in Auckland and Wellington.
The first turbine was today erected on the Waitakere City Council building.
The award-winning Swift turbines have been installed across Britain as some UK city councils have required homes in new subdivisions to generate 10 per cent of their energy-needs on-site from renewable resources.
The former Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Morgan Williams, said last year that some New Zealand households could generate about a third of their electricity requirements by fitting the Swift turbines to the roof of their home on a pole in their backyard.
Such rooftop-mountable wind turbines with an output of 1.5kW could provide between 2000 and 3000kW-hours of electricity a year.
"This is equivalent to one third of the total electricity requirement for the average New Zealand household," he said.
Dr Williams said in a report, Electricity, Energy and the Environment, the Swift rooftop turbine could be connected to the electricity supply, or linked to a hot-water cylinder, and called for New Zealanders to take more control over their own energy needs, particularly in terms of electricity.
Dr Williams said at the time he was "increasingly convinced that the potential for innovative energy solutions is greatest at the small or micro scale".
Vector chief executive Mark Franklin said today his company had an exclusive arrangement with the Scottish company Renewable Devices Swift Turbines Ltd.
Vector was exploring a range of energy efficient options for its networks in Auckland and Wellington: "We see a role as a demand-side solutions provider, offering packages of energy solutions tailored to customers price, quality and security needs."
Vector will trial up to 10 micro wind turbines in a range of locations to see how they perform in the urban environment and to assess their technical viability and commercial potential.
"The Swift turbine ... provides a great example of smart technology being used to address changing energy needs," he said.
"We are interested to see how well it performs in the New Zealand urban environment."
Each trial site will be assessed for its average wind speed, the amount of energy generated, noise and visual impact and for any effects the turbine might have on the operation of Vector's local electricity network.
Waitakere City councillor Penny Hulse said the trial was a logical extension of Waitakere's eco city vision: "We know that business as usual is not an option if we are to ensure the longterm survival of the planet. In Waitakere we are committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 85 per cent by 2051.
Wellington mayor Kerry Prendergast said she was delighted Wellington has been chosen to trial the initiative: "Alternative renewable energy sources are crucial for sustainability. We look forward to the trial."
Mr Franklin said electricity demand was predicted to continue to grow at around 2 per cent a year, and small-scale distributed gene ration initiatives such as solar and wind energy, could grow strongly in coming years to help meet this growth.
The Swift turbines are designed to be mounted directly on buildings and operate well in the relatively low speed and turbulent winds that occur at roof top level. They have five blades with a diameter of approximately 2m and weigh around 50kg.
"They impose very little visual or audio impact, operate within relatively mild winds, and with an output of 1.5kW could provide between 2000 and 3000KW-hours of electricity a year," he said.
"This equates to a quarter or more of the average New Zealand annual household's electricity needs of around 8000 kWh."
A particularly attractive design feature was that the turbine is virtually silent with a sound output of less than 35 decibels -- well within local government noise emission standards.
- NZPA
