Global wind energy development company Windlab was established in 2003 to commercialise world leading atmospheric modelling and wind energy assessment technology as developed by Australia’s scientific research institute, the CSIRO.
Windlab has been utilising this technology to identify and develop ready to build wind farms which produce significant amounts of renewable energy, at a lesser expense than any other electricity producing alternative.
Windlab’s initiative and key role in the creation and development of Australia’s wind industry was recognised at the 2013 ACT Export Awards where they took out the prize for Infrastructure and Construction.
Since then the company has continued to expand with Windlab’s 7500MW of renewable energy development pipeline maturing rapidly, as well as significant expansion in the overseas market.
2014 has also been a busy year for Windlab in terms of research and development.
Windlab’s Canberra based renewable energy centre-for-excellence the ‘WindScape Institute’ was announced in March, consisting of a team of highly trained physicists and engineers, many of whom studied locally at the Australian National University (ANU).
The objectives of WindScape are to create a high resolution global wind energy database using Windlab’s industry leading wind prospecting technology and to provide a centre to train the next generation of wind energy engineers and scientists.
Windlab Australian General Manager, Garth Heron, says that Canberra’s unique characteristics have played a key role in the company’s development and success.
“As a knowledge-based exporter, the strength of the ACT’s educational and tertiary institutions are at the heart of Windlab’s domestic and international competitive advantage,” Heron said.
“Canberra possesses an active culture of innovative technology-based entrepreneurialism that is not just encouraged but actively pursued and enabled through private and government collaboration.”
Windlab’s collaborative efforts stretch to government, tertiary institutions and industry associations such as the ACT Exporters Network, Canberra Business Council, SERREE and others.
The ACT Chief Minister’s Export Awards celebrate success stories such as this, providing national recognition for some of ACT’s quietest achievers.
“I’d whole-heartedly encourage any company exporting products and services from the ACT take a brief moment away from their day to day business and get involved in the ACT Export Awards,” said Heron.
Note: Original story was published on ACT Exporters' Network.