Shopping malls powered by the wind? The Newcastle Herald reports that Waratah Village shopping centre in will be the first in New South Wales to generate it’s own electricity from small-scale wind farms:

WARATAH Village will become the state’s first shopping centre to draw power from on-site wind turbines.

Footings for the three 14-metre-high turbines are being prepared this week.

The turbines, which Newcastle City Council approved in 2011, will be lifted into place in April.

A spokesman for Nekon Pty Ltd said the company had successfully introduced similar turbines at several other shopping centres in Australia.

‘‘Wind turbines are proven initiatives in supplying renewable energy,’’ he said.

‘‘The energy generated will mostly offset the energy used in lighting the car park and other common areas through the centre.’’

The turbine heads will comprise three reinforced  1.5-metre-long fibreglass blades.

Homes in Coolamin Road will be about 60metres from the turbines, which can withstand 220km/h winds.

Each unit is rated at 1.8kilowatts, peaking at 2.4kilowatts. It is estimated they will generate about 30kilowatts per day.

The shopping centre is investigating a rooftop solar system.

If proven effective, wind energy generators could easily be rolled out at shopping centres around the country.