THE FALKLAND ISLANDS

The Challenge

The Falkland Islands have around 100 remote homes and farms with no access to the national grid. In 1996, a renewable energy programme was launched by the Falkland Islands Development Corporation to research alternative energy sources.   The devices selected had to be effective and reliable providing optimal power to the residents in these remote locations.  The solution would have to be adaptable to all weather conditions of the Falkland Islands, renowned for its high wind speeds.  The remote locations use costly diesel generators which are expensive and costly to run.  The Island was in need of a cost effective power solution.

The Solution

The Proven Energy range was chosen due to its robust construction and ability to survive consistent high-speed winds.  With an average annual wind speed of 8.5m/s, harnessing the wind to their best advantage seemed to be the practical solution.  The Proven 7 wind turbine and the Proven 11 wind turbine battery charging systems were selected for this project. Depending on the energy requirements of the dwelling either a Proven 7 or Proven 11 was installed. The relatively low operating speed of the Proven Energy was considered as a factor that would improve its chances of long-term success. This has been substantiated as some Proven Energy wind turbines have now been in operation for over 11 years.