Year
Energy Use in WA
Renewables

Energy Facilities WA

Energy Sources Pros and Cons

World Renewable Energy

Benefits Outweigh Costs

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Bioenergy

Bioenergy is the energy produced from using organic matter, known as biomass. Energy can be in the form of heating, cooling, electricity or transport fuels. To find out more on W.A.'s bionenergy visit the finance.wa.gov.au site.

Geothermal

Geothermal energy involves extracting the energy stored as heat in the earth. Although geothermal energy is present everywhere beneath the surface, it must be concentrated and close to the surface and energy consumers to be a cost-effective power source. To find out more on W.A.'s geothermal energy visit the finance.gov.au site.

Hydro

Hydro-electricity production harnesses the energy of flowing water. Large hydro-electric power stations generally use dams to store water until needed, while smaller-scale generation facilities use the natural flow of rivers. This is the most established and mature form of renewable energy. To find out more on W.A.'s hydro-electricity visit the finance.wa.gov.au site.

Marine

Marine energy uses the movement of ocean tides, currents, or waves to produce electricity. The Western Australian Government has provided $12.5 million towards development of Australia’s first commercial-scale wave energy project, off Garden Island south of Perth. Carnegie Wave Energy Ltd is developing the 5 megawatt pilot plant. To find out more on W.A.'s marine energy visit the finance.wa.gov.au site.

Solar

Solar energy technologies generate electricity using energy from the sun. There are two main types:

  • solar thermal (concentrating solar) energy systems – concentrate the sun’s energy to produce heat, used to produce steam to drive a turbine and generate electricity
  • solar photovoltaic (PV) energy systems – convert solar energy directly into electricity by producing an electric current when exposed to sunlight

To find out more on W.A.'s solar energy visit the finance.wa.gov.au site.

Wind

Harnessing the wind for the generation of electricity is one of the most advanced and commercially deployed renewable energy technologies. Wind energy is one of the cheaper renewable energy technologies and is a major source of power in over 70 countries across the world. To find out more on W.A.'s wind energy visit the finance.wa.gov.au site.

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