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Introducing sustainable energy through wind power, recycling and job creation.

Hume Wind is a proposition for a renewable energy industry in Hume, an area which has natural wind assets.  Wind is relatively low tech and low cost as compared with other energy technologies, and wind turbines can be manufactured using recycled materials.  The project includes an innovation stream at Kangan Batman TAFE which develops new turbines, trains engineers and solves technical problems. My Windy Shed is a community DIY network which builds and repairs turbines, specialising in making turbines from recycled industrial materials. Hume Wind manages the local grid and helps businesses and residents invest and participate in the scheme.  Hume Wind demonstrates how local skills and a rich history of local manufacturing can be transformed into new renewable technologies, providing employment for many locals who had previously worked with automotive technologies.

My Windy Shed is a DIY network of professionals and homeowners who hold workshops on building turbines and using them for free local electricity generation. The My Windy Shed network includes recent retirees who have relevant skills to share and the time to share them with other locals. Unwanted materials can be redistributed locally and used to build turbine blades and structures. The Hume Wind website allows homeowners to calculate how much power they use, and compare it to greener alternatives and related costs. Green energy turbines can be purchased via the site, which also provides a link directory to green energy professionals. Green Business Initiatives allow local businesses to sponsor the installation of turbines at the homes of those who can't afford it on their own.  Other investment models include partnerships selling excess energy from multiple turbines back to the grid. The Kangan Wind Program is based at the local TAFE institute. The institute's on-site turbines are maintained by the students. The highly visible wind-speed meter increases local public awareness of wind-power's potential. The Kangan Wind Program provides opportunities for re-training and a new industry for the recently redundant workforce, focusing on wind-power development, education and turbine manufacturing, The Kangan Wind Program features a turbine research program where students build three types of turbines, the horizontal axis turbine, the darrieus and the savonious. Each type contributes power to the TAFE and its grounds. Experimentation allows the correct turbine for specific environments and wind conditions to be found. Hume Wind & the Kangan Wind Program provide research programs into the development of photovoltaics, kinetic energy and bio mass energy - future steps to a sustainable Broadmeadows. Hume Wind at the Ericsson site re-uses existing infrastructure to house new industry. On the façade, alternative energy logos are displayed to represent future development into photovoltaic, kinetic and bio mass energy with Hume Kangan.

Designer: Dean Benstead
Domain: Industrial Design
Studio: Sustainability Think-Tank
Studio Leader: Simon Curlis