A successful clean energy transition requires customers to be central in creating and using clean energy products. This project will analyse how processes and tools used to create user innovation/ customer centricity in other fields (Fintech and Information Technology) are useful in clean energy transition, but also where and these tools need to be augmented and further developed. This program of study will include a review of best practice; identifying success-factors, metrics and guidance on how best to apply these new product development methodologies to the clean energy transition and the delivery of emerging technologies in renewables. Solar Analytics is the Industry Partner associated with this project.

Dr Samantha Sharpe and Dr Schott Dwyer from the Institute for Sustainable Futures at the University of Technology Sydney will supervise this project. The link below will take you to the relevant area of the University’s website to find more details and apply.

Applications are now closed

Contact Dr Samantha Sharpe for more details.

This PhD project will explore opportunities for dynamic optimisation of energy use in large buildings, responding to weather, building operational data, electricity prices and emissions intensity data to minimise carbon emissions, reduce energy costs and support the electricity distribution network. This may include dynamic optimisation methods, control or sensor technology, impact analysis, forecasting, network and/or policy implications. The project team will have access to a unique dataset of energy, weather and IoT data from hundreds of commercial and institutional buildings across Australia and internationally through the industry partner, Buildings Alive.

Associate Professor Iain MacGill and Senior Research Associate Mike Roberts will supervise this project based in the Faculty of Engineering at UNSW. The link below will take you to the relevant area of the University’s website to find more details and apply.

APPLICATIONS CLOSED.

Contact Dr Mike Roberts UNSW for more details.

This PhD Topic will develop an Australian Energy Trust Index that will be used to benchmark levels of trust across the energy supply chain and from different stakeholder perspectives. The PhD by publication will commence with a rapid review for the purpose of identify existing conceptualisations, metrics and drivers of trust across multiple industries and energy. The second study will involve development of a rigorous measurement instrument that may triangulate data, this may be an adaptation of an existing instrument or a new instrument. The final study will test the instrument across multiple perspectives to determine nomological validity (i.e. the instrument measures what it is supposed to and predicts outcomes that it should predict). Essential Energy is the Industry Partner associated with this project.

Professor Ian Lings will supervise this project based in the Centre for Behavioural Economics, Society and Technology, School of Advertising, Marketing and Public Relations at Queensland University of Technology. The link below will take you to the relevant area of the University’s website to find more details and apply.

CLICK HERE TO APPLY

Contact Professor Ian Lings  for more details.

Community-driven approaches to manage the technical, social, economic, cultural and governance aspects are critical to a resilient microgrid energy supply in Indigenous communities. A rapid review will collate and critically analyse trials, pilots and larger roll-outs of renewable systems in off grid Indigenous communities. Formative research via key informant interviews and surveys will underpin the co-creation of strengths-based tools and activities targeting the successful adoption and ongoing operation and management of renewable microgrid energy technologies. The final stage will be to test, monitor and evaluate some of the tools and activities to determine the efficacy of the approaches. Horizon Power and Western Power are the Industry Partners associated with this project.

Associate Professor Cara Beal at the Cities Research Institute at Griffith University will supervise this project. The link below will take you to the relevant area of the University’s website to find more details and apply.

CLICK HERE TO APPLY

Contact A/Prof Cara Beal for more details.

Many of Australia’s nine million homes are characterised by poor thermal performance, which requires a substantial amount of energy to maintain thermal comfort every year. This has added pressure to the national energy demand, which can be resolved by applying innovative energy-efficient solutions. This project will explore various retrofitting solutions (such as pre-fabrication) to improve the thermal performance of a range of Australian homes. This project aims to prototype a cost-effective solution with a deployable funding model to support the retrofitting of a million homes in Australia. Climate-KIC Australia is the Industry Partner associated with this project.

Senior Lecturer Atiq Zaman and Dr Roberto Minunno from the Curtin University Sustainability Policy (CUSP) Institute will supervise this project. The link below will take you to the relevant area of the University’s website to find more details and apply.

CLICK HERE TO APPLY

Contact Dr Atiq Zaman for more details.

Millions of poorly-insulated homes in Australia create significant energy demand, especially during the winter. Unfortunately, solar PV systems alone cannot meet the winter’s energy demand due to low solar energy potential during the early morning and late evening. This project investigates small-scale portable solar-generated hydrogen storage as a non-grid renewable, affordable and sustainable energy solution for residents. The proposed project will revolutionise the portable renewable energy solution for homes by replacing the need for fossil-fuel-based gas bottles. Starling Energy is the Industry Partner associated with this project.

Senior Lecturer Atiq Zaman and Dr Jessica Breadsell from the Curtin University Sustainability Policy (CUSP) Institute will supervise this project. The link below will take you to the relevant area of the University’s website to find more details and apply.

CLICK HERE TO APPLY

Contact Dr Atiq Zaman for more details.

Load flexibility will address challenges of the evolving power system in Australia, allowing increased numbers of variable renewable energy to be integrated. Supported by cost reflective network tariffs, load flexibility can manage the load to provide high value services, such as increase operational minimum demand during the day by adding new demand, geographically targeted demand reductions and system balancing. This project aims to fill the gap in the existing literature and focus on the impact demand reduction and energy storage could have on the Australian National Electricity Market to increase reliability and allow for higher levels of variable renewable energy, therewith lowering power prices and reducing emissions. Ausgrid is the Industry Partner associated with this project.

Senior Lecturer Alexandr Akimov and Senior Lecturer Shyama Ratnasiri will supervise this project based in the Sustainable Energy Policy Cluster in the Department of Accounting, Finance and Economics at Griffith University. The link below will take you to the relevant area of the University’s website to find more details and apply.

APPLY HERE by 23rd July 2021.

Contact Dr Alexandr Akimov for more details.

The global adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) expanded notably over the last decade, created opportunities for grid integration through flexible charging and vehicle to grid. This project aims to develop solutions that will help EV Owners and Fleet Managers with smart charging/discharging decisions and aggregation of EV resources to support the energy market and the transition to EV. Expected outcomes of this project include efficient charging (and discharging) scheduling algorithms and an aggregator software system to harness EV resource. This should reduce the EV total cost of ownership and facilitate grid integration of EVs with benefits to the Australian economy and carbon reduction targets. Enzen is the Industry Partner associated with this project.

Lecturer Adel N Toosi and Associate Professor Ariel Liebman will supervise this project based in the Faculty of Information Technology at Monash University. The link below will take you to the relevant area of the University’s website to find more details and apply.

APPLY HERE.

Contact Dr Adel N Toosi for more details.

This project is focused on recommended design and engineering principles of totally renewable microgrids with the ambition to assess the suitability of traditional grid reliability measures, explore innovative reliability management and measurement approaches potentially more suitable for DER dominated micro-grids as well as provide design recommendations balancing reliability and commercial viability. The joint work is leveraging Planet Ark Power’s unique power electronics and software solution eleXsys as a core element operating autonomous microgrids of the future, as well as providing integrated Volt/VAR management, allowing for full two-way energy flow in the entire microgrid network. Planet Ark Power is the Industry Partner associated with this project.

Lecturer Hao Wang and Lecturer Reza Razzaghi will supervise this project based in the Faculty of Information Technology at Monash University. The link below will take you to the relevant area of the University’s website to find more details and apply.

APPLY HERE.

Contact Dr Hao Wang for more details.