Denmark Windfarm Switchroom Outside Renovation

November 2022

On Sunday the 13th of November, Susanna, myself and Graham drove down to Denmark with Peter and Martina close behind. Adam, our carpentar neighbour also turned up in a large van with our trailer full of ladders, planks and a table. We stayed 3 nights at a beautiful and extremely cold BnB on Lights Beach Rd, near the windfarm but away from Cafes and Optus phone reception. Telstra has put a tower on the gravel pit just north of the windfarm. This pit is why there was a 22kV feeder all the way down Ocean Beach Road and why we could even think of putting the windfarm there. At the house, we met up with Kim who is a tradie for hire and would also be staying there as he also works for the BnB owner, Paul - who Graham knew from chess.

Graham was involved with the East Timor freedom movement in the nineties when he had met Murray, one of our shareholders and Denmark local and DCW director, who also just happens to own and run the local Mitre 10 hardware store. They met up on the Wednesday for some very serious catching up.

Monday was taking the roof sheets off, removing 2 curved and rusted steel members, replacing 4 longitudinal members and the outer metre and a half of 2 other longitudinal members with wooden beams, jarrah. We spent alot of Monday scraping and grinding off rust, painting over the exposed fresh steel with zinc paint and then, at the end of the day, replacing the roof sheets with new fasteners. Waterproofing is also added on the worst places. We had two young, local roofers to help but it was still a 12 hour day.

Once the roof sheeting was off, all hands on deck. Note that the white on the green paint is salt and is evidence of rust underneath. Northern side above and southern below.

Tuesday was not much shorter as rust on the surface of the southern walls was ground off (lots of angle grinding) before we could put fresh zinc paint over the steel members and green paint over that, two coats. Another very long day. (The walls and ceiling of the switchroom were built as with Mt Barker, panels of flat colourbond steel panels sandwiching rockwool to get the 2 hour fire rating, a Western Power requirement). However, after years of haggling with Denmark Community Windfarm Inc, the switchroom has been completely renovated and made much more rust resistant.

Being on the coast, there is much salt in the moisture and when the air cools quickly, it condenses on metal. Not such a problem if it washed off by rain. Nasty corrosive stuff if it is not.

Finished. The view looking at the north western corner as the sun sets . . . you can see fresh zinc paint on the curved steel beams (it is also under most of the new, green paint).

We have yet to finalise the invoice that will hit Denmark , it will be very healthy!

(On Wednesday, we pick up the sodar from Mt Barker to take back to Perth.)