Free Essay Example - Description of Location

Norfolk Island is an Australian territory in the Pacific Ocean. It is located approximately one thousand six hundred kilometers Northeast of Sydney. Historical records show that Norfolk Island is among the oldest regions established after the founding of Australia. The Island is known for its unique biological diversity and historical sites that attract visitors from around the world. According to the 2016 Australian Bureau of Statistics, Norfolk Island had a population of 1746 people who claim Pitcairn descent (Australian Government Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, and Communication., 2020). The population on the Island continues to decline according to the available demographic records. For instance, in 2011, the Norfolk Island Government Census placed Norfolk Island's population in 1796 and 2601 in 2001 (Australian Government Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, and Communication, 2020). Imperatively, the population declined by 50 people between 2011 and 2016.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

According to the Parliament of Australia (2020), the economy of Norfolk Island is fragile. It principally depends on volatile market exports and markets. Not much industrial manufacturing occurs on the Island, and its export commodities include agricultural products such as bananas, fish products, guava jelly, and passion fruit pulp. With no significant energy-intensive activities such as processing and manufacturing, the energy use in Norfolk Island is primarily for domestic consumption. Due to this declining population and the low energy economy of Norfolk, it is imperative to design a suitable energy plan that caters to its current and future needs.

Current Process for Obtaining Energy

Currently, Norfolk island has actively harnessed solar as the primary source of its energy supply. With monthly sun hours of over one hundred and fifty hours all year round, the Island has been leading in the adoption of high levels of solar power compared to the other regions of Australia. While this progress is considered positive in light of creating low carbon economies, it has its downside. The challenge with high levels of solar power generation in Norfolk is that it's local economic cannot use the entire power generated. At the same time, there are no large capacity cells for storing the surplus (Parkinson, 2017). The net effect of imbalance between energy generation and supply is a financial loss. During the day when solar insolation is high, more power is generated and wasted. The low population of residence and low-energy economy makes it difficult for the Island to use all its generated power. Being a solar energy leader in Australia also makes the energy systems inadequately developed to link surplus to other regions that may need it at a fee.

Norfolk does not have the high capacity infrastructure for storing excess energy, which means that despite producing excess electricity during the day, it has to spend on diesel generators to generate power in the evening and night (Parkinson, 2017). This challenge is further complicated because residents of the Island who produce solar get credits to use on the diesel-generated power in the evening. This means that the Feed-in credits remain unsustainable if the excess energy from solar is not sold out to other regions.

Solar power generation in Norfolk is done using photovoltaic cells laid directly facing the sunlight. As the direct solar insolation strikes the surface of the solar cells or panels, the electrons from the cell's silicon lining are excited to generate electricity. The solar panels, therefore, convert the sun's rays into electricity through the photovoltaic effect. The energy can be used as direct current or transformed into alternating current. The challenge with solar power is that any slight shading or period of no light renders them unusable. Hence, people have to turn to other options such as diesel generators as a source of energy from being to the night. Unless cells to store the excess power from solar power systems are installed, they become unsustainable and financially straining.

Feasibility of Windpower in Norfolk Island

Ensuring Norfolk's energy security while taking into account limited prospects of an energy-intensive economy and declining population makes wind power a suitable complement for the existing solar power system. While the initial costs associated with setting up and operationalizing a fully functional wind power system are high, they guarantee a reliable source of energy that is not affected by seasons or time of the day (Nelson, 2013). Wind energy only requires blowing wind to turn the turbine blades. As the wind blows, the turbines capture its kinetic energy and convert into mechanical energy that spins an internal shaft. The shaft, which is connected to a gearbox, further accelerates rotation more than 100 times (Nelson, 2013). It is these rotations that eventually spins a generator to provide electricity.

The prospect of wind power generation is high in Norfolk island due to its location in the Pacific, where trade winds blow. Economically, wind power is even more cost-effective than solar panels, which are only 15-20% efficient and a life expectancy of 20-30years. Wind turbines can capture and convert up to 50% energy from wind and remain operational for 20-30years or more depending on the wind turbulence in the Island (Nelson, 2013). A gridline connection can then be established between Norfolk Island and mainland Australia to supply the surplus electricity to where it is needed.

Environmental Impact of Wind Power Generation

Wind power provides a clean, reliable, and sustainable source of energy. Its carbon footprint is negligible but provides high-voltage power that can serve both domestic and industrial needs as long as the wind blows. However, the blades' noise as they spin can be a nuisance (Nelson, 2013). The windmill blades may also affect the migration routes of birds and kill them. Adequate space must be created to allow free rotation of blades and non-interference from falling tree branches even during strong winds. This means all nearby vegetation must be cleared constantly.

References

Parkinson, G. (2017). Norfolk Island has "too much" solar; now it wants storage. Retrieved 14 August 2020, from https://reneweconomy.com.au/norfolk-island-has-too-much-solar-now-it-wants-storage-58159/

Australian Government Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, and Communication.. (2020). Norfolk Island. Retrieved 14 August 2020, from https://www.regional.gov.au/territories/norfolk_island/

Chapter 2 The Norfolk Island economy – Parliament of Australia. (2020). Retrieved 14 August 2020, from https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Joint/Completed_Inquiries/ncet/norfolkgovpart2/report/chapter2

Nelson, V. (2013). Wind energy: renewable energy and the environment. CRC press.