Picture this: Renewables project viewing tool seeks to demystify wind, solar and storage

Trying to picture what a wind, solar or battery project will look like once built – and how it will fit in with its surrounds – can be a key sticking point for communities, especially those new to energy developments. 

Creative tech company Spatial Media is closing the imagination gap by connecting people with visualisations of some of the biggest energy projects on the eastern seaboard, including offshore wind farms off the coast of Gippsland and a “super battery” in New South Wales.

“Billions of dollars have been invested in generation, storage, and transmission for wind, solar, pumped hydro, offshore wind, and new technologies such as wave energy and more are on the way,” says Spatial Media’s Jai Eakin. 

“Given the limited public understanding of renewable projects and their technologies, especially those located in areas of natural beauty, and the prevalence of misinformation about renewables, it is crucial for these projects to engage with the community more effectively than other infrastructure projects.”

Community attitudes to large-scale solar and wind energy projects appear to be hardening after years of poorly managed consultation and scare campaigns by anti-renewables groups. 

Just this week, an Essential Media study found a majority of 1,100 people surveyed weekly over the 12-month period don’t believe that renewable energy technology is advanced enough to fully replace fossil fuels.

The reputation of renewables is not helped by prominent politicians such as Barnaby Joyce continuing to hyperventilate about renewables and a writhing mass of anti-clean energy groups trying to pin a range of unproven damages on new technologies.

The Essential Media poll, for renewables gentailer Zen Energy, recommended that more education is needed for community acceptance, especially as projects become more complex and the bar for local consultation gets higher.

“Effective engagement will help address concerns about how these projects interact with the landscape, potential noise impacts, and effects on flora and fauna, ultimately aiding our transition to clean, renewable energy,” Eakin says.

Exploring renewables the easy way

Flipping through Spatial Media’s Generation for Generations portal is like a who’s who of some of the biggest, and some of the most controversial, projects underway in Australia today. 

The New South Wales (NSW) government has its Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) tool which allows users to zoom in on each REZ and see what is happening there – and what isn’t. The Humelink transmission line and Waratah big battery are both included.  

Snowy 2.0 is explored in video form, but for those wondering where the Gippsland turbine-view-from-the-beach visualisation is from, it’s the Offshore Wind Energy Victoria’s simulation.

The interactive maps have layers of project and power generation types, transmission lines, renewable energy zones and government areas around Australia.

“The interactive map shows the location and key project information compiled from industry data. Each project can be examined in detail, and users can add and remove layers to highlight project categories, power generation types, transmission lines, and renewable energy zones,” says Eakin.

“Users can also take an interactive tour of major initiatives in Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, Queensland, and Tasmania, and explore offshore wind in the Bass Strait and North Queensland’s energy boom.”

“Users can also take an interactive tour of major initiatives in Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, Queensland, and Tasmania, and explore offshore wind in the Bass Strait and North Queensland’s energy boom.”