Benefits of Wind
The environmental benefits of the Collgar Wind Farm to the community are outlined below. They have been calculated in accordance with the Policy and Planning Guidelines for the Development of Wind Energy Facilities1 and the relevant site data. The lower end figures listed below represent the benefits for the first stage of 111 wind turbine generators, and the higher figures represent the benefits for the full layout of 127 wind turbine generators.
Renewable Electricity Generated Per Year
The Collgar Wind Farm will generate from 794,500 to 903,500 megawatt hours (MWh) of renewable electricity per year.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Displaced
The Collgar Wind Farm will displace between approximately 1,032,850 and 1,174,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide or greenhouse gas emissions per year.
Average Number of Households
The Collgar Wind Farm will supply enough power each year to service between 144,455 and 164,270 average Western Australian households per year 2.
Number of Cars Taken off the Road
A wind energy facility that displaces between 1,032,850 and 1,174,000 tonnes of CO2 per annum is the equivalent of taking between 238,500 and 271,260 cars off the road each year.
Equivalent Number of Trees that would need to be Planted
The 1,174,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions displaced by Collgar Wind Farm each year would be equivalent to the amount of carbon that would be locked up by planting between 1,541,500 and 1,753,000 trees.
1http://www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/resources/documents/WindEnergyGuidelines.pdf
2http://www.soe.wa.gov.au/report/human-settlements/energy-use-in-settlements.html