Live in the Outback? 4 Reasons to Pick Solar Panels Over Wind Turbines
Posted on: 8 June 2016
If you're living in a property towards the country's Red Centre, you'll be in an ideal position to take advantage of eco-friendly power options. The outstanding proportion of sunny days seen throughout the year will mean that solar panels make a good option, while the low, flat, unbound landscape makes wind-turbines another fantastic way to produce environmentally-friendly power. That said, anyone who wants to install these options on their own personal property is usually better going with solar power systems instead of a wind-turbine. Here are just four reasons why.
1. Easier to Maintain
Solar panels are very easy to keep in good condition; all you'll really have to do is occasionally clean them down to ensure that dust doesn't build up, and perhaps have them looked at every year or so for signs of damage. In contrast, turbines contain many moving parts and can be much harder to maintain if you don't have any in-depth knowledge of how they function. This becomes a more important issue when you're in a desert environment since the air will tend to carry a lot of dust and sand that can clog up moving parts.
2. Less Conspicuous
Looks will rarely be a central concern if you're thinking about eco-friendly power, but they are still worth considering. One of the best things about solar panels is that they are less visually conspicuous than wind turbines, and they can usually just be fixed right to the roof of your property. They are also less audibly conspicuous since they'll remain totally silent in operation. In a remote location with little other background noise, the whirring of a turbine is likely to become more than a little grating.
3. Less Susceptible to Damage
Solar panels aren't just easier to maintain than wind turbines – they're also much less likely to be damaged in the first place. Since they stick right out into the sky, they are far more likely to be struck by lightning or damaged by unexpectedly high winds. Given that your location is likely to be quite remote if you live in the outback, having anybody out to respond to this damage is sure to be costly and inconvenient.
4. Easier to Move
If you ever have to move, you'll find that it is next to impossible to bring your wind turbines with you, unless they are very small; even if you can take them, it's going to be far less convenient than simply stacking some solar panels in the back of a Ute.
Solar panels and wind turbines are both great for the outback, but solars may be more effective for the outback.
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