The ANU Energy Change Institute brings together over 200 researchers across various energy-related fields such as solar energy, nuclear science, and economics. It aims to facilitate research and teaching on transitioning to renewable energy through technological innovations, policy design, and engaging stakeholders. Key programs include master's degrees, collaborating on major funding bids, and advising the government through the Institute for Public Policy.

1. THE ANU ENERGY CHANGE
INSTITUTE
Professor Ken Baldwin, Director
March 2013
ANU Energy Change Institute energy.anu.edu.au

2. Energy Research at ANU
• The ANU is Australia’s federally
funded, leading research university
• We collaborate and provide
leadership with the other major
players in Australia and
internationally.
• We have the largest portfolio of
research into Energy Change of any
university in Australia:
~$100M in facilities and 200
researchers
• Technology and Policy neutral
ANU Energy Change Institute energy.anu.edu.au

3. ECI Mission
• Energy change will offer broader benefits to society by:
• driving the transformation to a clean economy in
response to climate change
• increasing economic productivity to help ensure long-term
growth
• improving energy access and security.
• The ANU Energy Change Institute brings together leading
research and teaching on the technologies, efficiency, policy,
law, sociology and economics of moving to a sustainable and
dominantly renewable energy future.
• The ECI facilitates new research and teaching programmes,
and connects ANU energy research to policy makers and the
wider community.
ANU Energy Change Institute energy.anu.edu.au

4. ECI Programmes
 Education
• Professional Short Courses for government and industry
• Master of Energy Change programmes
• Future undergraduate courses in Energy Change
 Research
• Provide a focus for large research funding bids
• Proactively engage with industry and other stakeholders
 External Engagement
• A single entry point for advice to government and industry
• Contribute to the ANU Institute for Public Policy
ANU Energy Change Institute energy.anu.edu.au

5. CCI / ECI Partnership
 ECI is a collaborating member of the ANU Climate Change
Institute (CCI)
• Contributes to CCI events e.g. Australia-China Climate Change Forum
• Shared courses e.g. Master of Energy Change / Climate Change
• Common Board membership
 External prospects
• Energy and climate contributions e.g. for CURF, SERREE
• Proactively engage with external stakeholders
 Joint Opportunities
• Linking activities across campus under the College system
• Supporting public statements between Climate and Energy
• Joint public policy contributions to Government
ANU Energy Change Institute energy.anu.edu.au

6. ANU Energy Change Institute
A wide spectrum of Energy research:
– Technologies
►Solar Energy
►Nuclear Science
►Fusion Energy
►Fossil Fuels / CCS
►Hydrogen Fuel Cells
►Artificial Photosynthesis
►Biosolar
– Efficiency
– Economics
– Policy
– Regulation
– Sociology
ANU Energy Change Institute energy.anu.edu.au

7. ANU Solar Research
 ANU Research Capability
• ARC Centre for Sustainable Energy Systems
• 80 staff and PhD students, $9M income 2011
 Research areas
• Photovoltaic fundamentals & solar cells
• Solar thermal power
• Photovoltaic-thermal hybrid systems
 National capacity building
• Substantial commercial interactions
• Links with ASI and overseas institutes
 The Future
• Cost reductions via “learning curve” and R&D
• Focus on R&D to capture commercialisation
ANU Energy Change Institute energy.anu.edu.au

8. ANU Fusion Research
 ANU Research Capability
• H-1 Major National Research Facility
~$20M, operating budget ~$1M p.a.:
Super Science funded from 2011
• 20 staff and PhD students
 Research areas
• novel plasma configurations
• new diagnostics of plasma conditions
 National capacity building
• develop capabilities in fusion science
• build human capacity to leverage ITER
 The Future
• Engagement with ITER - an IAEA project
to build a fusion power reactor: construction cost of
$10 billion,10 year budget $4 billion - the world’s largest science experiment
ANU Energy Change Institute energy.anu.edu.au

9. ANU Nuclear Science
 ANU Research Capability
• Heavy Ion Accelerator Facility – a $50 Million
national facility, operating ~ $3M p.a. – Super
Science funded
• 45 staff and PhD students
 Research areas
• Fundamental nuclear science c.f. nuclear power
• Applications - accelerator mass spectrometry
- climate change monitoring of isotopes
- groundwater flows / environmental
discharge tracing
 National capacity building
• Sole Australian research training and education facility for BSc, MSc and PhD
students in nuclear science
• International/national collaborations inc. ANSTO
 The Future
• Provide nuclear science research + training capability in the national interest
ANU Energy Change Institute energy.anu.edu.au

10. Enhanced Oil & Gas/CO2 Storage
 ANU Research Capability
• 20 Research Staff, 2 X-Ray CT facilities
• Research program linked to 14 major
oil companies (Exxon, BP, Chevron, ...)
 Research areas
• Digital analysis of 3D reservoir core
• Prediction of geophysical & petrophysical
properties from 3D imaging of core.
 National capacity building
• Revolutionize mode of gathering rock data
with reduced cost & increased data
• Improved solutions to geosequestration
 The Future
• Continued R&D with oil majors + CO2CRC
• Company formed to deliver client services
ANU Energy Change Institute energy.anu.edu.au

11. ANU Fuel Cell Research
 ANU Research Capability
• Plasma processing used to fabricate fuel cell
• Same techniques as for microelectronics
• Fuel cell assembly environmental testing
 Research areas
• Carbon nano-fibres with clusters of platinum for
electrodes
• Membranes to separate electrons and protons
• Hydrogen splitting for artificial photosynthesis
Plasma beams for fuel cells
 National capacity building
• Sole Australian University PEM Fuel Cell research
• Direct collaboration with University of Queensland
• Close collaboration with France (Orleans,
Montpellier)
 The Future
• Forefront of plasma processing of fuel cells Nanofibres for fuel cells
ANU Energy Change Institute energy.anu.edu.au

12. Artificial Photosynthesis Research
 ANU Research Capability
• 4 ARC funded Research Groups
• 25 personnel
 Research areas
• Mechanism of Water-Splitting
• Biological Photo-Energy Conversion
• Bio-Mimetic Molecular Assemblies
 National capacity building
• Collaborations with Leading European/US groups
• Linkages with Industrial Physics CSIRO
 The Future
• Development of Bio-mimetic Catalyst Systems
• Construction of Prototype Bio-reactors
ANU Energy Change Institute energy.anu.edu.au

13. Biosolar
 ANU Research Capability
• Plant science strengths in
College of Science
 Research areas
World Leaders in:
• Photosynthesis
• Plant biotechnology
• High throughput analysis
• Ecology
• Economic Analysis
• Increased lipid content of
algae and cyanobacteria
 National capacity building
• Major NMR and mass spectrometry facilities
ANU Energy Change Institute energy.anu.edu.au

14. Efficiency and Demand Management
 Energy efficiency, design and business competitive advantage
 IT and energy efficiency
 Energy management systems
ANU Energy Change Institute energy.anu.edu.au

15. Energy Economics
 Centre for Climate Economics and Policy
− design of policies including for energy systems
 Centre for Applied Macroeconomic Analysis
− the G-Cubed model – an international macroeconomic
model – used for analysing climate mitigation options
 Energy and economic development
− the role of energy in economic growth and development
in developing countries, including China and India
ANU Energy Change Institute energy.anu.edu.au

16. Energy Regulation & Governance
 Financial incentives compared with feed-in tariffs
 Planning law, transmission barriers and distributed energy
 Global governance of specific technologies: artificial
photosynthesis, energy and nanotechnology, and energy security
 Energy governance and its implications for climate change:
energy policy within individual countries
 Design principles to support the creation of a low carbon energy
regime and encourage energy innovation
ANU Energy Change Institute energy.anu.edu.au

17. Energy Sociology and Policy
 Energy Sociology and Risk
• Transformation of energy consumption
• Energy risk, disaster management and
community acceptance
 Energy Politics
• democratic challenges of energy reforms
• politics of energy security in Asia - China & India
• the biofuels industry, esp. the EU, US & Brazil
 ANU Institute for Public Policy (ANIPP)
 Engagement between ECI and the Public Sector
 Examples of ECI policy engagement
• National Energy Security Assessment (NESA)
• Australia-China Climate Change Forum
• Australian Energy Technology Assessment (AETA)
ANU Energy Change Institute energy.anu.edu.au

18. ANU Energy Change Institute
A wide spectrum of Energy research:
– Technologies
►Solar Energy
►Nuclear Science
►Fusion Energy
►Fossil Fuels / CCS
►Hydrogen Fuel Cells
►Artificial Photosynthesis
►Biosolar
– Efficiency
– Economics
– Policy
– Regulation
– Sociology
ANU Energy Change Institute energy.anu.edu.au

19. RDA Capacity Building
ANU Energy Change Institute energy.anu.edu.au

20. RDA Capacity Building
ANU Energy Change Institute energy.anu.edu.au