11 episodes
Energy Unpacked Bronte Wilson and Adam White
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- Technology
Energy is at the center of decarbonising the economy, and we need all hands on deck to do it, so why not start here?
Your co-hosts Bronte Wilson and Adam White will provide jargon-reduced insights into the Australian Energy Transition, a transition from a fossil-fuel-dependent and centralised energy system to a decentralised renewable-based one.
You can expect short explainer episodes on some of the key challenges and opportunities, as well as longer Q&A episodes with industry experts.
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Hedda Ransan-Cooper- Community batteries and the role of households in the energy transition
This week we speak to social scientist Dr Hedda Ransan-Cooper about her insights on community batteries and DER as it relates to residential customers. Hedda leads the social science program within the Battery Storage and Grid Integration Program (BSGIP) at ANU.We explore what differentiates a community battery from other battery projects, and community expectations around the problems these batteries should solve/ services they should provide. Hedda also highlights some of the issues and risks associated with an energy system relying on customer owned DER. Learn more about Hedda’s research here: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/359314754_Neighbourhood_batteries_in_Australia_Anticipating_questions_of_value_conflict_and_injustice, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/372597082_Community_perspectives_on_microgrids_and_resilience_in_the_Eurobodalla_Australia and connect here https://au.linkedin.com/in/hedda-ransan-cooper-ba334a12
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Skill Shortages
It seems fitting to round out one of our last episodes of this season with a call for more people to join the energy industry as we embark on a once in a lifetime transition. There is no shortage of work required to decarbonise our electricity grid, but there are shortages in the people and skills required to do that work. In this conversation we provide an overview of this looming problem, the drivers, and potential solutions.
Sources used in the creation of the episode include:
2021 Infrastructure Market Capacity Reporthttps://www.infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/publications/2021-infrastructure-market-capacity-report
https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics
2022 Local Government Workforce Skills and Capability Surveyhttps://alga.com.au/app/uploads/LG-Workforce-Skills-and-Capability-Survey-National-Report.pdf
E3 Fast track The Australian Electricity Workforce for the 2022 Integrated System Plan: Projections to 2050.Revision 1.https://aemo.com.au/-/media/files/major-publications/isp/2022/supporting-materials/the-australian-electricity-workforce-for-the-2022-isp.pdf -
Matthew Charles-Jones - Lessons from Yackandandah’s Community Energy Journey
On the podcast today, we interview Matthew Charles-Jones on the topic of community energy. Matt is a founding member of the community energy group Totally Renewable Yackandandah, which is helping power a small Victorian town with 100% renewable energy. In this episode we unpack how Yackandandah came to be a national leader in the adoption of rooftop solar, and what the takeaways are for other parts of Australia. You can learn more about Totally Renewable Yackandandah and their initiatives here; https://totallyrenewableyack.org.au/.
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Securing Social License
It’s no secret that to build out all the new renewable generation, storage and transmission infrastructure we need to reach an 80% renewable grid by 2030, we need communities onboard. In this episode we cover some of the challenges around securing social license, and pathways for progressing this important element of the Energy Transition.
Sources used in the creation of this episode include;
AEMO’s 2022 Integrated System Plan https://aemo.com.au/en/energy-systems/major-publications/integrated-system-plan-isp/2022-integrated-system-plan-isp
HumeLink transmission project shapes up as a test of governments’ willhttps://www.afr.com/companies/energy/humelink-transmission-project-shapes-up-as-a-test-of-governments-will-20230918-p5e5hg
Strategic Benefit Payments Scheme Overview https://www.energyco.nsw.gov.au/community/strategic-benefit-payments-scheme -
Mining Minerals and Metals for the Energy Transition
If you enjoyed listening to our recent conversation with Rob and Sam from Solar Recovery Corporation, don't miss this episode! Tune in to learn more about the challenges and opportunities we face meeting the scale of minerals and metals required to enable the energy transition.
This podcast was largely informed by the following sources:
Powering Up: Unleashing the Clean Energy Supply Chain https://www.blackincbooks.com.au/books/powering
The net-zero materials transition: Implications for global supply chains.https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/metals-and-mining/our-insights/the-net-zero-materials-transition-implications-for-global-supply-chains
The Role of Critical Minerals in Clean Energy Transitions. https://www.iea.org/events/the-role-of-critical-minerals-in-clean-energy-transitions-world-energy-outlook-special-report -
Rob Gell and Sam Agostino-Recovering materials from end-of-life solar panels
This week's podcast episode features insightful discussions with Sam and Rob from Solar Recovery Corporation, shedding light on the immense scale of solar panels that Australia will need to process in the coming decade as well as the exciting opportunity to reuse recovered materials for other clean technology applications.
Discover more about Solar Recovery Corporation's tried and tested technology by exploring their website at https://www.srcorp.com.au/.