Rewired

Rewired is a new podcast from ARENA, Australia’s renewable energy agency. Traveling around Australia, host Courtney Carthy sits down with the farmers, construction managers and everyone in between who are witnessing, first hand, a quiet solar revolution in Australia. Join him as he hears how the ARENA-supported solar projects are rewiring the electricity grid and providing jobs and other economic benefits to rural and regional communities across the our sun-drenched country.   For more information check out www.arena.gov.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A disused goldmine 400 or so kilometres inland from Townsville holds the tantalising promise of solar energy that powers the grid after the sun goes down. The project in Kidston (population: 3 or 4) is the first development to begin construction following the Australian Renewable Energy Agency’s Large Scale Solar Competitive Round. It’s a solar farm that one day could charge one of the world’s biggest batteries, ingeniously fashioned from the mine. In the first episode of Rewired we drive in, meet the locals and a backpacker from Missouri who see the solar farm as a boon to the region. Learn more about ARENA’s solar energy projects - www.arena.gov.au Leave a review and subscribe to automatically get the next episode when we travel to Griffith NSW. On behalf of the Australian Government, ARENA has invested around $90 million in 12 large scale solar farms around the country after a competitive funding process. Many of the projects are underway, already generating economic and social benefits for those regional and remote communities that will soon boast their very own solar farm.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Griffith is a regional city with impressive industries, Yellow Tail wine for one. Each day container-loads of its product leave the area by train bound for the export market. This thriving business uses more power than a small town - and it will need even more as it continues to grow. Enter the town’s new large scale solar farm, currently under construction, and getting ready to feed into the local grid - creating an additional supply of energy for a host of high quality agri-businesses in the region. For more information about renewable energy in Australia visit www.arena.gov.au Subscribe to Rewired on your podcast app and let us know what you thought by leaving a review.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s famous for its Elvis Festival and a telescope dish that helped put man on the moon.  But now Parkes, in central west NSW is about to become famous for something else altogether: solar power. Popping up on a property next door to the town’s mayor, the Parkes Solar Farm will come online towards the end of 2017. When it does, it will power the town’s annual Elvis festival and a whole lot more. The solar development, one of 12 being supported by ARENA as part of its recent competitive round, will generate approximately 138,000 megawatt hours (MWh) of renewable electricity into the national power grid each year. This generation will be equivalent to taking either 38,000 cars off the road or planting 195,000 trees, producing enough electricity to power approximately 21,000 homes. Find out more information by going to www.arena.gov.au Please subscribe and leave a review with your thoughts about solar energy in Australia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At around 600 acres the sprawling Nyngan Solar Farm was the largest in the southern hemisphere when completed only 4 years ago. What’s it like to visit a solar farm of this size? And, how have electricity generation costs come down since? In this episode we head out to northern NSW and also check in with Darren Gladman at the Clean Energy Council for some statistics on how the cost of generation is plummeting. We hope you’re enjoying our exploration of new large scale solar projects around Australia. If this is the first episode you’ve encountered, have a look at the others in the feed. Please subscribe and leave a review with your thoughts about solar energy in Australia. Find out more information by going to www.arena.gov.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dubbo has a history of saying yes to new things. In the 1970s, after a nearby town turned down the offer of a new zoo (fearing escaped lions would kill livestock) Dubbo jumped at the chance. Decades on they’ve said yes again to two new large scale solar farms - one in nearby Narromine and the other just out of the city. The new solar farms will be in good company. Dubbo is one of the top three towns or cities in New South Wales when it comes to rooftop solar adoption. And, like our trip to Griffith, Parkes and Nyngan, it’s easy to see why. Dubbo is sunny all the time. Special guests on this episode are comedian Dave O’Neil and NSW Renewable Energy Advocate Amy Kean. Subscribe to get new episodes in your podcast feeds and please leave a review - let us and others know your thoughts on the show. Next episode is the final in our trip. We’re headed to WA where a solar farm there will complement the existing wind farm out the back. For more information - arena.gov.au/podcastsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Perched on twin hills about two hours north of Perth and built on the remains of prehistoric beach are two renewable energy farms - one established and the other underway. The Emu Downs wind farm and soon to be solar farm next door have been a boon for the local area of Badgingarra. Farming families have members already employed under the turbines and local businesses are on site at the solar farm. The complexities of Australia’s energy mix and what that might look like have been a minor feature in the series. Here in Emu Downs Western Australia, it’s materialised. For more information visit ARENA - www.arena.gov.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to all the new listeners downloading ReWired since Apple Podcasts featured the show as New & Noteworthy.   If you've already heard the series please subscribe to get new episodes in the future, and leave a review on iTunes.   If you'd like to know anymore informationa about renewable energy projects around Australia visit ARENA.gov.au  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia is in the midst of an energy revolution and The Innovators wants to take you to the cutting edge of it. It's a place of hydrogen-producing solar paint, of virtual power plants and energy cryptocurrencies. It's a place of pure innovation and leadership, sparked by individuals with a renewable energy future in their sights and, often, extraordinary stories of their own to tell. Yes, between the politics, the market and the consumer, there's a lot of noise distorting the energy debate right now. We want to cut through that with stories of world-leading technology, bold ideas, the value of persistence and would you believe it, the motivating force of failure. Hosted by Adam Morton, The Innovators is a six-part series and is the second of the Rewired podcasts powered by ARENA, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency. Find out more at www.arena.gov.au/blogSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the first episode of our new series of ReWired: The Innovators, Adam Morton meets Dr Jemma Green - a former investment banker, entrepreneur and, most recently, interim mayor of the City of Perth. She's also co-founder of energy trading start-up PowerLedger, which stormed through its Initial Coin Offering earlier this year and raised $34 million for its platform allowing electricity consumers to receive and trade energy with power companies, and each other. Jemma talks of the demise of a century-old dynamic where energy consumers were at the end of a long line of service delivery, one that is being replaced, instead, with a "democratisation of power" where the user is King. In this fascinating conversation, Green describes the many and varied paths she's taken to get to PowerLedger, from investment firms in London to the Camino de Santiago in Spain, and her vision for a future driven by "citizen utilities". And yes, blockchain gets a mention, too. For more info, go to arena.gov.au/blog or find us on Facebook.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sometimes, life doesn't work out as you'd expect. Sometimes, what might seem like a failure is actually an opportunity for success. In this episode of The Innovators you'll meet two scientists whose own failed lab experiment led them to something, arguably, more exciting. In early 2017, RMIT University academics Torben Daeneke and Kourosh Kalantar Zadeh released details of a "solar paint", one that uses the power of the sun to generate hydrogen from moisture in the air. With hydrogen a potential source of renewable energy and countries such as South Korea and Japan shifting to a hydrogen-based future, could their discovery have implications for how we use hydrogen going forward? For more on the future potential of hydrogen, go to arena.gov.au/blogSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2016, Katerina Kimmorley was working in India with her solar energy social enterprise, Pollinate Energy, bringing real, tangible change to the lives of thousands of people living without electricity in India's urban slums. So what brought her home after years away to the world of venture capital and renewable energy start-ups? In this episode we hear about her journey to the helm of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation's Innovation Fund where she has a front row seat to Australia's energy revolution, and where she sees the future of renewables heading. For more information on the work of the fund and the projects she mentions go to arena.gov.au/blog or cefc.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Virtual power plants and digital energy marketplaces. These are the intangible, unseen elements of the energy revolution yet they're central to Bruce Thompson's working life. But 20 years ago, Thompson was just a keen-eyed engineering student concerned about the environment and "this thing called climate change". A former activist and director of major projects at the Moreland Energy Foundation Limited (MEFL), he's been able to ride the wave of interest in environmental concern over the decades as issues that were once considered fringe have hit the mainstream. Now he's at energy software company GreenSync and is helping drive Australia's first open, digital marketplace for renewable energy, dEx. In this episode of The Innovators, Thompson takes us on a journey from his days as a community campaigner in the Top End and how he applies what he learned to his current role as head of product strategy at GreenSync. For more, go to arena.gov.au/blogSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How many times would people tell you 'no' before you believed you couldn't? For Telstra Energy's Nada Kalam, the first time someone told her that 'girls can't do engineering' was in high school - and it's lit a fire under her ever since.In this episode of The Innovators we explore a recognised issue within the energy industry: women's representation. And, as an energy systems engineer with one of Australia's biggest energy consumers, Nada shares how Telstra is using renewable technology to fortify its assets and reduce energy costs.For more information on the Women in Renewables pledge or to read the report on corporate renewables, go to arena.gov.au/blog.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Isolated from mainland Tasmania and at the mercy of the elements, the residents of Flinders Island have always prided themselves on their self-reliance. We take a trip across the Bass Strait as Hydro Tasmania's new Hybrid Energy Hub kicks in to gear to find out how the shift away from diesel generation to renewables will affect lives. Dewi Cooke meets some of the locals and hears how this small island has lived with intermittent electricity for years, while Adam Morton gets the lowdown on the Hub from Hydro Tasmania's manager of Hybrid Energy Solutions, Ray Massie.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we enter a new decade, ARENA is launching season three of our podcast ReWired. Together we will look at the different pieces of Australia’s energy puzzle, and learn how they might come together in a future powered by renewables.  Over six episodes, energy experts and innovators will explore a wide range of topics - the role of large-scale storage in balancing the grid, the transition to a consumer-driven energy system, and the electric vehicle revolution driving us to a more sustainable transport system.  We will look at the state of Australia’s hydrogen industry, and hear how energy intensive industries are becoming more efficient and embracing renewables.  You made the first two seasons of ReWired a massive success, and inspired us to share more of the important stories about Australia’s shift to renewable energy. Find out more at www.arena.gov.au/blog. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We are pleased to bring you the third season of ARENA's podcast, ReWired: Solving the Energy Puzzle. We begin inside a net zero emissions home overflowing with renewable energy technology. Hear what inspired the owners to reimagine the modern Australian home to create and consume energy as efficiently as possible.  We speak to energy leaders about the challenge of integrating the array of behind the meter technologies into a grid designed last century. AEMO CEO Audrey Zibelman and Australia's Chief Scientist Dr Alan Finkel explain some of the ways these hurdles are being overcome, and share a vision for how the network might work in the future. And ARENA CEO Darren Miller introduces the game-changing distributed energy projects that ARENA is supporting, like Melbourne startup Allume, which is breaking down barriers to solar for apartments and other multi-metered buildings. Your support made the first two seasons a huge success. Help us to grow the show by sharing it with your networks, and joining in the conversation on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Electric vehicles are finally breaking into the mainstream, but is Australia’s electricity network ready for them? Australia’s EV journey has started slowly. But with more models available than ever before and fast charging networks under construction, for many they are becoming a viable alternative. In this episode of ReWired, experts share their perspective on why you should consider an EV for your next car. Learn about work underway to make sure the electricity grid can cope with a growing fleet of electricity hungry vehicles, and hear from the people building new charging networks. We even hear how the landscape is transforming in Germany, where the first car was built nearly 135 years ago. Subscribe now ARENA Rewired: Solving the Energy Puzzle is available now. If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe now so you get a notification when new episodes are released. You can help us grow the podcast by sharing it with your friends, family and colleagues, and let us know what you think on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Could the most common element in the universe be the key to a future powered by renewables? In this episode of ReWired, we explore how renewable hydrogen could be poised for its moment in the sun. While the potential of hydrogen has been understood for decades, the emergence of electrolyser technology - powered by affordable and plentiful energy from the wind and sun - is a potential game-changer. The opportunity is massive. Just as Australia's resources have underpinned global industry for generations, hydrogen could allow us to export our riches of wind and solar energy as the world works to decarbonise. Opportunities beyond our borders One country that sees a bright future for hydrogen is Germany. In this episode, Managing Director of the German Energy Agency Kristina Haverkamp tells us that Germany won't be able to produce enough hydrogen to meet their future demand. Describing hydrogen as one of a suite of renewable, synthetic ‘powerfuels’, she believes it will be an important alternative to direct electrification in the pathway to a future powered by renewables. Where do we start Producing hydrogen with an electrolyser costs more than fossil fuel alternatives today, but ARENA is working hard to make the emerging technology commercial. As well as investing $70 million into a new funding round, ARENA is supporting massive ammonia users like explosives manufacturer Dyno Nobel to explore whether it is possible to transition to using a renewable hydrogen feedstock. Incitec Pivot’s Vice President of Strategic Project Development Darren Jarvis told us these projects offer a pathway towards the vision of a hydrogen export industry. We also hear from ATCO’s Head of Innovation Sam Lee Mohan, who tells us about their work to blend renewable hydrogen into existing natural gas pipelines.  Stay up to date Rewired: Solving the Energy Puzzle is available wherever you listen to podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe now so you get a notification when new episodes are released. You can help us grow the podcast by sharing it with your friends, family and colleagues, and let us know what you think on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is it possible for wind and solar to supply reliable, dependable electricity day or night, regardless of the weather? One of the biggest criticisms of renewable energy has been the simple fact that the output of wind and solar farms can vary depending on the weather and time of day. When renewables made up a small part of the generation mix, that variability wasn’t a big problem. But as wind and solar do more of the heavy lifting, it is vital that we find ways to store energy for those times when less energy is being generated. In this episode of ReWired: Solving the Energy Puzzle, we look at one of the newest - and most headline grabbing - large-scale storage technologies. Just like the AA cells that historically powered devices like transistor radios, massive battery banks today store energy in electric vehicles and increasingly offer a way to support the electricity grid. Hear Edify Energy CEO John Cole tell us about the 25 MW / 50 MWh battery they have installed alongside their solar farm at Gannawarra in northern Victoria.  Australian Energy Market Operator CEO Audrey Zibelman shares her perspective on the role storage technologies like batteries have a role to play 'firming' the variable output of wind and solar farms, and helping to keep the lights on. We also hear from Climateworks CEO Anna Skarbek, who believes that batteries will be an important part of the future energy portfolio. She shares her belief that flagship projects like the Hornsdale Power Reserve in South Australia provide a glimpse of the future and help to shift the conversation around the energy transition. Stay up to date ARENA Rewired: Solving the Energy Puzzle is available wherever you listen to podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe now so you get a notification when new episodes are released. You can help us grow the podcast by sharing it with your friends, family and colleagues, and let us know what you think on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.