RESEARCH SHOWCASE: FLEXIBLE DEMAND IN THE FUTURE ENERGY SYSTEM
29/07/2021, 4-5.30pm (AEST)
This joint Energy Research Institutes Council for Australia (ERICA) and Energy Efficiency Council (EEC) webinar showcased the cutting edge of research on demand-side flexibility from Australia and around the world.
Co-hosted by the Energy Efficiency Council’s Luke Menzel and ERICA’s Ariel Liebman, our panel brought together local and international experts to discuss their latest research, and what it will take to fully realise the demand side’s role in a rapid, cost-effective energy transition.
Associate Professor Rongling Li, Operating Agent for the International Energy Agency Energy in Building Communities (IEA EBC) Programme’s Annex 82 on Energy Flexible Buildings, provided insights into the latest global research on deploying energy flexibility from buildings as a resource.
Dr Stephen White, Leader of the Innovation Hub for Affordable Heating and Cooling’s (i-Hub) Smart Building Data Clearing House, shared his insights on innovative new approaches to managing flexible loads through data and digitalisation.
Dani Alexander, Leader of the RACE for 2030 CRC Business Program, shared some of the early insights from this major initiative which has industry and researchers are working together to unlock the benefits of flexible demand for business.
Meet the co-hosts
Meet the speakers
Luke Menzel
Chief Executive Officer, Energy Efficiency Council
Luke Menzel is CEO of the Energy Efficiency Council, a not-for-profit membership association for businesses, universities, governments and NGOs.
Luke is one of Australia’s leading advocates for the role of energy efficiency, energy management and demand response in Australia’s energy transition. He is Vice-President of the Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council, sits on the NABERS National Steering Committee, is a member of Standards Australia’s EN001 Energy Standard committee and is the Lead Chair for the NSW Government’s Green Globe Awards.
ERICA Chair 2021
Director, Monash Energy Institute
Program Leader, RACE for Networks Program, RACE for 2030 CRC
Professor Ariel Liebman has over 22 years’ experience in energy research and industry practice. Since joining the Faculty of Information Technology in 2012, Ariel has developed sustainable energy research programs with colleagues across Monash, including within Engineering and the Monash Business School. Ariel brings together researchers from across disciplines to identify ways to optimally integrate new and renewable technologies into smart grids, microgrids and large-scale energy systems. Ariel co-architected the Microgrid/Net Zero Initiative and lead researcher in the $3 mil ARENA funded Smart Energy City. He founded the Monash Grid Innovation Hub. Ariel is also leading the RACE for Networks, one of the 4 programs in the $300m Reliable Affordable Clean Energy for 2030 CRC.
Department of Civil Engineering, Energy and Services, Technical University of Denmark
Operating Agent for IEA EBC Annex 82
Rongling is an associate professor at DTU Civil Engineering. She has been working on projects of smart energy systems and smart cities, including IFD CITIES, EUDP EnergyLab Nordhavn, EUDP IEA EBC Annex 67 and Annex 82, IFD SEM4Cites, EU Combiotes, and EU ARV. Her focus in the projects is on building energy flexibility including thermal and electrical flexibility, using modelling and data-driven approaches. She is the operating agent of the IEA EBC Annex 82, an international collaboration running from 2020 to 2025 on the topic of energy flexible buildings towards resilient low-carbon energy systems. Her research interests include smart cities, smart buildings, energy demand flexibility, energy system modelling, big data analysis, data mining, machine learning, building physics and services.
Research Principal, UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures
RACE for Business Program Leader, RACE for 2030
Dani Alexander is a researcher at the UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures who is passionate about rebuilding our energy system to be clean, affordable, reliable and equitable. Dani specialises in understanding game-changing technologies, with a focus on distributed energy resources to promote energy system flexibility. Dani is also the RACE for Business Program Leader at the newly established Reliable Affordable Clean Energy for 2030 (RACE for 2030) Cooperative Research Centre. The vision for RACE for 2030 CRC is a customer-centred clean energy transition. Dani is also a mother, ultimate frisbee athlete and C40 Woman4Climate.
Energy Efficiency Research Leader, CSIRO
Leader, Low Carbon Living Cooperative Research Centre
Activity Leader, Innovation Hub for Affordable Heating and Cooling
Operating Agent for IEA EBC Annex 81
Dr White leads CSIRO's Energy Efficiency Research. He also leads the “Buildings to Grid Data Clearing House” Activity in the Affordable Heating and Cooling Innovation Hub (i-Hub). He is the Operating Agent for the International Energy Agency EBC Annex 81 “Data-Driven Smart Buildings”. Dr White has over 25 years of experience in energy end use efficiency and electricity industry demand side management. He has extensive experience in the application of research to support both government energy efficiency policy instruments and technology commercialisation. He oversees the NatHERS benchmark software (referenced in the National Construction Code) and key national energy databases (NEAR, Australian Housing Database).