What if we used our hundreds of hectares of land- fill rubbish tips as solar power generating sites? These old tips are too unstable and often too toxic to ever build houses on. However, they are flat, they are close- by and they are near the grid. Oh, and we have lots of sun.
For decades we have dumped our rubbish in big pits around the city, often in old sand mines. The older ones weren’t even lined. Nearly all of them are covered over now. At some we generate power by burning the methane gas they emit. This gas is running out as the rubbish rots away. That business model is about to disappear. However, these sites have exiting power lines that already link to the WA grid.
Some tip sites might suit solar power generation; others might suit wind power. The photo shows how companies in Victoria already generate energy on site, in this case with roof- top wind power.
Our city’s energy is highly dependent on a gas pipeline from Veranus Island. A couple of years ago this source suffered short- term catastrophic failure in mid- summer; we sweated. Prudent risk management suggests that we need alternative sources of energy. Large solar sources could provide part of such alternatives.
Our highest power use is in day time, in hot weather, when the sun shines. We already have a bit of stand- by diesel power for night time. There are three more 10 Mw diesel plants in construction- just to stand by in case of emergency.
The land surface of our tips is continually subsiding. This is one reason we should not build houses on them. The local manager for a large solar power company says that their automatic tracking technology could easily and continuously adjust solar panels for this subsidence.
Local Councils own the tip land. By reaching commercial arrangement with power companies Councils could become their own power utilities or could supply to the grid. Continuity of tenure to enable a return on investment would be a question easily resolved in law.
By offsetting our tip methane emissions with renewable power generation we can provide a financial benefit to our residents.
So, we diminish our power bill, we reduce carbon emissions, we receive a feed- in tariff from the State Government, we make use of wasteland. Is this something we can work on?
Have your say, please. Just click on “Comments” below.
7 comments:
Hi Pete like your idea and can think of many sites in the City of south Perth and nearby that were rubbish tips.
If you are not aware of them they include Ernst Johnson oval Sir James Mitchell Park and the site to the east of Coode St. Also all the land in front of Burswood including much of the Golf course and the Collier Park golf course as well. Most of the Wesley playing fields also served that purpose and I can recall many a happy weekend as a kid riding my bike and getting up to a bit of mischief in these areas. How do you plan to tackle the issue?
Hope all is going well and keep up the good work.
Regards Brian
Just to add a footnote too that, I put a 3kw system in February & on my calculations they will owe me about $140.00 when my bill is due.
So much for solar not cutting the mustard!!!
If geothermal was brought online from places like Innaminka & wind turbines in high wind areas, this would take care of night time usage possibly with a spattering of wave energy. If 78% of households in Australia had solar, the needs of industry would be met during daylight hours as well.
Unfortunately the power elite need their nuclear power stations to produce high grade uranium for nuclear arms manufacturing.
It was an interesting point today seeing the South Australian minister for minerals & energy spouting that nothing major had happened in Japan & no one had been lost to the nuclear facilities there, “what contempt he shows for human life” especially if he makes enquiries to all those who have been recently exposed who could die any point from 9 months onwards.
There is a powerful undercurrent desperately trying to get either uranium processing, or nuclear dumping here, & it will succeed because we really only have the illusion of democracy don’t we?? So long as people take their 60 pieces of silver this will always happen. For myself I still believe there is a big price to pay as this lifetime is but a mere blink of an eye in the grand scheme of things.
You watch big business via the media do a demolition job on the Gillard Government. The thing is if she sticks to her guns & fires the appropriate shots at big business, most will vote with her, especially the younger generation, what’s your thoughts??
The trouble these days is to many lobbyists are being placed in politics that are bankrolled by big business.
Best Regards
Ray
Sounds great Peter.
I think our old rubbish dump (South Perth) is used as an oval for sports near Phenros.
Use these spaces in Perth for solar generation. Not so much for wind power because of the noise factor from the turbines in a built up area.
Cheers
Ralph
Thanks again for your insightful comments Pete. My big problem at present is with Synergy who seem to be doing an atrocious job of billing for those of us with solar power. None of it makes sense and a letter I wrote to them got no reply probably as there were so many others complaining as well. I am aware that Synergys billing system is under scrutiny with increasing criticism from several quarters. It will be very hard as I have already told Synergy to keep on promoting solar power as cost efficient if their billing system is so stuffed! Have you had anything to do with all of this? I was wondering if it needs to be persued at a state level with the Greens or perhaps that is already happening. Unfortunately I have seen very little decrease in my power bills which I believe is due to Synergies haphazard billing system rather than a lack of sun!!
Sorry to be pedantic, but I don’t really believe that Perth is dependent on a single pipeline running from Veranus Island for energy. I think you will find that this gas is a very small “top up” and is mostly used for local communities like Onslow and Carnarvon. I think it is misleading to suggest that Perth’s gas supplies rely on a small pipeline from this source. It is minute in the overall scheme of NG supply.
The Court Government spent a billion dollars investing in a natural gas pipeline to bring gas from Woodside’s Domestic Gas Plant (as compared to its LNG trains 1-4 designated for export LNG) to bring natural gas to Perth, then Bunbury, and finally Capel. This is where 99% of Perth’s natural gas comes from.
I really am surprised that:
1. You are unaware of the Dampier to Perth NG Pipeline and the investment made it by previous state governments in 1981-1983.
2. That you highlight the gas pipeline from Veranus Island which really is a very small diameter pipeline and is really a sideshow. I guess the fire explosion there some years ago increased public awareness that it actually existed.
With respect to solar power, and wind power, it is true that WA has both solar and wind power in abundance. The problem is that the cost per kW generated is very rarely cost effective unless you want consumers to pay a significant amount more for their energy (on top of the large cost increases incurred over the past two years). It is unlikely that either could ever fully replace either coal fired/natural gas/nuclear power (if it ever happens) as a viable power generation source for a reasonable sized city unless we expect the population to pay an extraordinary amount on their electricity bill. And by the way, the visual impact of a many square kilometres of either wind towers or solar panels sufficient to feed a decent sized city would certainly mark us as possibly the “Eighth Wonder of the World”.
And by the way, the visual impact of wind towers has proven to be a community problem in many countries (ignoring the birds that get killed by the blades).
Just trying to keep things in perspective and in balance. As much as I appreciate the good intent in an environmental approach, we can only go as far as technology effectively progresses. At least natural gas is a “cleaner” form of power generation compared to coal, albeit certainly not the final solution (hopefully).
I would like you as a councillor to spend more time and effort considering the local issues more that pushing the green bandwagon all the time which is a more generic issue. You are in danger letting your politics get in the way of representing local concerns.
The ward is creaking with the effects of bad council planning of decades past - narrow streets dating from WW2 congested with overflow from units and town houses with insufficient parking; so that any transit resembles an obstacle course nightmare rather than a leisurely suburban drive. How about getting the streets widened for a start for safety and convenience; and to absorb some of the parking problems? Council created it, Council should fix it.
What about more pressure for the South Perth rail station to be built for one of the major dormitory suburbs; and on the indolent incumbent local MP's to do same?
If government can waste money for unneeded footpaths in St George's Terrace, it can certainly 'waste' a few of its mining royalties on building the station. Where's your conveyancy of that pressure? With the exception of Mr Buswell, blind freddy can see that rail will be the dominant commuting medium for Perth this century. Infrastructure supporting it should be top priority!
Knowledge giving Article! I appreciate you. I completely agree with you. If we talk about current scenario then it is must be update. I enjoyed reading. I would like to visit more for more queries about solar energy.
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