ACT RENEWABLES HUB
THE ACT HUB: AHEAD OF THE CURVE The Hub continues to drive a dynamic program of events designed to place the nation’s capital at the forefront of advances in the greater renewable energy sector. Here we look at recent activities.
THE SMART ENERGY VIRTUAL CONFERENCE &
challenges faced by society and the commitment
podium for the Hub to shine the light on its
to zero emissions by 2050 by all states – a vital
offerings and services.
common, cross-border ambition that recognises
That it did in spectacular fashion: of the 36 virtual booths, the ACT Renewables Hub booth was the most visited, scoring a total of 906 visits.
the urgent need to steer away from fossil fuels to avoid worsening climate change. All due credit to the ACT, he said, which led
And booth visitors were clearly impressed,
one of the globe’s earliest and largest roll-outs
awarding the ACT Renewables Hub Booth 8 out
of battery storage through the ACT’s Next Gen
of 10, and commenting on the “inspiring and
program that taps into the complementary
insightful” collection of contents on show.
nature of batteries and rooftop generated solar
“This was an extraordinary result which bodes well for the future of the ACT Renewables
power. Now a third of the way toward completion,
Hub,” said Alethia Barceinas who manages the
the program proudly represents one of the
ACT Hub and organised all the digital content
world’s largest VPPs and cements the pioneering
including videos.
position of the ACT in renewables.
“This event allowed us to reach the masses
Referencing bushfires, prevalence of smoke
and enabled us to emphasise the key objective
and danger to infrastructure, Lachlan stressed
of facilitating inbound investment advocating
the need for greater resilience in systems and
for the ACT as an ideal headquarters of choice,”
combining forces to control assets, with a nod
Alethia said.
to the complexity of energy systems through
For his part, ACT Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability Shane Rattenbury opened
Connecting industry, sharing knowledge, and building business opportunities through collaboration.
Lachlan outlined the climate change
EXHIBITION in early September was the perfect
regulations, policies and incumbents. Greater resilience can be achieved
the Hydrogen: Market Update session on Day
through innovation, he said, and among the
2 of the virtual conference that attracted 3,500
opportunities are ‘all electric’ town centres,
delegates and was one of the most successful
the elimination of gas from the network and
to date.
extensive use of renewables-powered electricity.
Capital advances
Rosemary Barnes, Business Owner, renewable
Four weeks later, in early October, the ACT Hub
energy, composite materials design and
staged the follow-up event “How to make ACT
manufacturing expert who contrasted the
the renewable energy capital”.
industry dynamics playing out in Europe versus
Among the inspiring addresses by industry innovators was that of Lachlan Blackhall,
Webinar participants also heard from
Australia. “In Europe, masters and other students who
Entrepreneurial Fellow and Head, Battery Storage
are seeking real world experience find the culture
and Grid Integration Program at the Australian
among some big engineering companies stifling,
National University.
so they are instead getting into hardware start-
“In the global race for reducing emissions we all need to win together.”
