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Wind power is a rapidly expanding mode of renewable energy production in Australia with an average annual rate of growth in installed capacity of 35% over the five years up to 2011. As of 2011, there is 2224 megawatts (MW) of installed capacity, with another 15284 MW either being planned or under construction. In the year to October 2011, wind power generated 6432 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity accounting for 2.4% of Australia's total electricity demand and 21.9% of total renewable energy supply.〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://cleanenergyaustraliareport.com.au )〕 As of October 2010, there were 52 wind farms in Australia, most of which had turbines of from 1.5 to 3 MW. South Australia has close to half of the nation's wind power capacity,〔International Energy Agency (2009).(IEA Wind Energy: Annual Report 2008 ) pp. 79-82.〕 accounting for almost twenty percent of that state's electricity needs of as October 2010. By the end of 2011 wind power in South Australia, championed by Premier Mike Rann, reached 26% of the State's electricity generation, edging out coal-fired power for the first time. At this stage South Australia, with only 7.2% of Australia's population, had 54% of the nation's installed wind compactly. Victoria also had a substantial system, with about a quarter of the nation's capacity, and projects under construction forecast to more than double that capacity by the end of 2013. A full listing of all the wind farms in Australia, can be found in List of wind farms in Australia. ==Overview== Australia has excellent wind resources by world standards.〔(Wind Atlas for Australia 2008 )〕 The southern coastline lies in the roaring forties and hundreds of sites have average wind speeds above 8 or even 9 m/s at 50 m above ground (the hub height of a modern wind generator). The southwest of Western Australia, southern South Australia, western Victoria, northern Tasmania and elevated areas of New South Wales and Queensland have good wind resources. Several states engaged in systematic wind speed monitoring in the 1980s and 1990s, the results of which are publicly available. Australian wind farms produce on average capacity factors of 30–35%, making wind an attractive option.〔(National code for wind farms: A discussion paper )〕 As of October 2010, wind power accounted for approximately 5 TWh out of a total of 251 TWh of electricity used per year, enough electricity to power more than 700,000 homes, and amounting to about two percent of Australia's total electricity consumption.〔 This came from 52 operating wind farms with greater than 100 kW capacity, consisting of a total of 1,052 turbines. This figure represented approximately a 30% increase in wind power generation each year over the previous decade, or a total increase of more than 1,000% over that time. The total installed capacity at October 2010 was 1,880 MW (1.88 GW), counting only projects over 100 kW, with a further 1,043 MW under construction.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Wind power in Australia」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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