Windlab opened its new "global operations hub" in the city this week, from where it plans to manage and operate wind farms in South Australia and overseas.
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Windlab will manage more than 80 wind turbines at the Coonooer Bridge wind farm, expected to be generating in March, and the Ararat wind farm over the next 20 years while they are operate under contract with the ACT government.
Chief executive Roger Price said Windlab would turn turbines off and on to despatch electricity into the grid when required, manage maintenance and contracts, and trade in the renewable energy market from the Canberra headquarters.
The two wind farms, both in South Australia, have a capacity of 250MW, but Windlab hoped to boost the capacity under its management to 1500MW by 2020.
"We think there's significant opportunity to increase the size of the operation here to manage wind farms," he said, predicting that the national renewable energy target would see another 4500MW of wind built in Australia by 2020. A significant number of the wind farms would look for companies such as his to manage their operations.
Canberra staff numbers would be boosted from the 15 currently in the Barton office, to 22 and then to 30 over the coming year. The company was also working with the Australian National University to set up the country's first masters course in wind, and is taking four interns a year from the city's universities to help science and engineering graduates establish careers in renewable energy.
Mr Price said the company felt "much more optimistic", after a difficult few years.
"We have weathered a storm," he said. "I think the march is now inevitable and I think momentum is now on our side."
He confirmed Windlab has bid in the second auction, for which bids are being evaluated by the government's panel, with an announcement expected at any time. Mr Price would not give details of the second project.
In Marcus Clarke Street, Windlab is an anchor tenant for what Environment Minister Simon Corbell hopes will turn into a renewable energy precinct in the city west area and near the ANU.
"It's about saying come together in this space, be close to each other," he said.
Windlab's decision to headquarter its operations in Canberra was "exactly the outcome we want" from the renewable energy program, which was not just about getting cheaper renewable energy but about making Canberra a centre of expertise and research in renewable energy, Mr Corbell said.
"This was a company that was potentially looking at leaving Canberra and Australia 18 months ago because of the dire prospects in wind energy. They were developing more in Africa than they were in Australia."
