A bright future for solar innovation

ARENA’s ReWired podcast is back for a new season spotlighting the Australians turning big clean energy ideas into real-world impact. In this episode, host Danny Kennedy speaks with special guests: Anish Muchhala, Investment Associate Director at ARENA Charles McGill, Chief Executive Officer at ElectraLith Together, they discuss the role of critical energy minerals (CEM) like copper and lithium in the transition to renewable energy. The conversation explores innovative ways to produce industry-ready materials, while reducing emissions and energy use and strengthening Australia’s sovereign industrial and manufacturing capabilities.  You'll also hear about ElectraLith's approach to efficiently producing high-quality lithium and how ARENA funding has helped them develop their technology and share their insights. Episode links ReWired podcast: https://arena.gov.au/rewired-podcast/   Season episodes: https://arena.gov.au/rewired-podcast/season-5/  Subscribe to ReWired: https://omny.fm/shows/rewired/  Acronyms ARENA: Australian Renewable Energy Agency CEM: Critical Energy Minerals CapEx: Capital Expenditure OpEx: Operational Expenditure VC: Venture Capital HCL: Hydrochloric (acid) ULCS: Ultra Low-Cost Solar See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ARENA’s ReWired podcast is back for a new season spotlighting the Australians turning big clean energy ideas into real-world impact. In this episode, host Danny Kennedy speaks with special guests Leon Chanter, General Manager of Distributed Energy Resources at ARENA. Together, they discuss distributed energy resources (DER) and consumer energy resources (CER), and how they work together to create a stronger energy network for all Australians.  You'll also hear about a variety of ARENA-funded projects from across Australia that are working to create a more resilient and efficient power grid all the way from the west coast to the east coast. Episode links ReWired podcast: https://arena.gov.au/rewired-podcast  Season episodes: https://arena.gov.au/rewired-podcast/season-5/ Subscribe to ReWired: https://omny.fm/shows/rewired Acronyms AI: Artificial Intelligence ARENA: Australian Renewable Energy Agency  ASX: Australian Stock Exchange  AusAID: Australian Agency for International Development  CER: Consumer Energy Resources  DEIP: Distributed Energy Integration Program  DER: Distributed Energy Resources  DOE: Dynamic Operating Envelope  EBM: Emergency Backstop Mechanism  EV: Electric Vehicle  HEMS: Home Eneregy Management Systems  ICE: Internal Combustion Engine  NEM: National Electricity Market  Solar PV: Solar Photovoltaic  SWIS: South West Interconnected System  V2G: Vehicle-To-Grid  VPP: Virtual Power Plant See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ARENA’s ReWired podcast is back for a new season spotlighting the Australians turning big clean energy ideas into real-world impact. In this episode, host Danny Kennedy speaks with special guests: Alex Motbey, Investment Associate Director at ARENA Shohan Seneviratne, Chief Executive Officer at Murchison Hydrogen Renewables Together, they discuss what green hydrogen looks like today, and how it might be used in the future. The conversation covers the potential of hydrogen to decarbonise hard-to-abate industries like steelmaking and aviation, and how other molecules like ammonia can be used to create complementary decarbonisation strategies. You'll also hear about ARENA's Hydrogen Headstart program, and details of the Murchison Green Hydrogen project funded under it. Episode links: ARENA’s Hydrogen Headstart program: https://arena.gov.au/funding/hydrogen-headstart-round2/ ReWired podcast: https://arena.gov.au/rewired-podcast/  Season episodes: https://arena.gov.au/rewired-podcast/season-5/ Subscribe to ReWired: https://omny.fm/shows/rewired/ Acronyms: ARENA: Australian Renewable Energy Agency CapEx: Capital Expenditure OpEx: Operational Expenditure GDP: Gross Domestic Product TRL: Technical Readiness Level CIP: Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners BESS: Battery Energy Storage System CBAM: Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism RFNBO: Renewable Fuel of Non-Biological Origin See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ARENA’s ReWired podcast is back for a new season, with ‘Aussies in the ARENA’ spotlighting the Australians turning big clean energy ideas into real-world impact.  In this episode, host Danny Kennedy speaks about what it takes to decarbonise industry with special guests: Tanya Hodgson, Investment Associate Director, Heavy Industry Portfolio at ARENA Michael Parks, Global Director of Sustainability at Treasury Wine Estates (TWE)  Together, they discuss why industry matters to Australia’s journey to net zero, the technologies helping reduce emissions in hard-to-abate sectors and how regional projects can create learnings that travel beyond one site. Episode links ARENA’s Powering the Regions Industrial Transformation Stream: https://arena.gov.au/funding/powering-the-regions-industrial-transformation-stream/  TWE Barossa Decarbonisation Project: https://arena.gov.au/projects/twe-barossa-decarbonisation-project/ ReWired podcast: https://arena.gov.au/rewired-podcast/ Season episodes: https://arena.gov.au/rewired-podcast/season-5/ Subscribe to ReWired: https://omny.fm/shows/rewired/ Acronyms ARENA: Australian Renewable Energy Agency ITS: Industrial Transformation Stream  DRI: Direct reduced iron  GDP: Gross domestic product  IGCC: Investor Group on Climate Change TWE: Treasury Wine Estates  FMCG: Fast-moving consumer goods  H2: Hydrogen  LPG: Liquefied petroleum gas R&D: Research and development See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ARENA’s ReWired podcast is back for a new season spotlighting the Australians turning big clean energy ideas into real-world impact. In this episode, host Danny Kennedy speaks with special guests: Alex Grant, ARENA’s General Manager of Transport Anthony Headlam, CEO of NewVolt Marceline Overduin, Founder of Eco Route Advisory Gareth Ridge, Australia Country Manager at Zenobē Together they discuss what it will take to move goods across Australia with lower emissions, and the technologies and infrastructure making it possible. From electric trucks to charging networks and smarter freight solutions, this episode looks at the real-world projects helping reshape Australia's transport future. You’ll hear about how ARENA is accelerating innovation in electric vehicles, with a specific focus on electrification and decarbonisation of the freight and trucking industries. Acronyms: ARENA: Australian Renewable Energy Agency EV: electric vehicles BEV: battery electric vehicles  V2G: vehicle-to-grid  V2X: vehicle to anything  HVIA: Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia  OEM: Original Equipment Manufacturer  CapEx: Capital Expenditure  OpEx: Operational Expenditure  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ARENA’s ReWired podcast is back for new season spotlighting the Australians turning big clean energy ideas into real-world impact. In this episode, host Danny Kennedy speaks with special guests: Dan Sturrock, ARENA’s General Manager of Solar Professor Renate Egan from the Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics (ACAP) at the University of New South Wales Together, they discuss the innovations helping drive the next wave of clean energy progress and ARENA's ‘30-30-30’ vision for ultra low cost solar. Episode links: ‘The Incredible ULCS – Ultra Low Cost Solar White Paper’ ACAP Acronyms: ARENA: Australian Renewable Energy Agency ULCS: Ultra Low Cost Solar ACAP: Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics UNSW: University of New South Wales PV: photovoltaics See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we look back at 10 years since ARENA was first established, we’re speaking with one of the most important names in Australia’s clean energy journey, Ross Garnaut. Economist Ross Garnaut has many descriptions attached to his name  - emeritus professor at the University of Melbourne and the Australian National University, former economic adviser to Prime Minister Bob Hawke, ambassador to China, author - but there’s one label you may not have heard: “An old dog for a hard road”. Read more: arena.gov.au/blog/ross-garnauts-renewable-energy-road/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hysata CEO Paul Barrett explains how research undertaken by two Australian universities is helping them produce the world’s most efficient hydrogen electrolysers. Early in 2022, Australian technology company Hysata announced they had developed a groundbreaking hydrogen electrolyser. The news made a splash, offering a pathway for emissions free hydrogen to compete with methods of production that rely on fossil fuels. Read more: https://arena.gov.au/blog/rewired-game-changing-electrolysers-with-hysatas-paul-barrettSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Creative ways of storing energy from the wind and sun will be needed to power the next phase of the energy transition. This week on ARENA’s podcast Rewired, we speak to Dr Marnie Shaw from the Australian National University about a new wave of community energy projects. Unlike the small household batteries that are installed behind the meter to soak up rooftop solar power, community batteries can be installed across the distribution network to benefit all households. Read more: arena.gov.au/blog/stockpiling-solar-power-in-suburban-batteries/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The gift of a solar powered car at just eight years of age set 5B’s Nicole Kuepper-Russell on a pathway that is transforming the way the world produces energy. Now the Chief Operating Officer at solar pioneer 5B, Kuepper-Russell joins Rewired to explain how the company's unique approach is making solar faster to deploy and more affordable. With support from ARENA, 5B is deploying robots and automation at their Sydney manufacturing plant. The project aims to bring down the cost of their prefabricated 'Maverick' solar arrays that will soon underpin the world's largest solar farm.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.