SMART ENERGY ON SHOW
Power, politics and perseverance This year marked the 60th Smart Energy Conference and Exhibition that puts the spotlight on the abundance of opportunities across the renewable energy industry. Innovation was on full show across the exhibition floor with the more than 80 exhibitors showcasing their products and services that are contributing to a better world. A world which supports decarbonisation through smart energy systems in all their forms: battery and solar PV, EVs, hydrogen, large scale wind and solar. Here we present some of the key trends, messages and aspirations presented during the conference.
WHAT BETTER WAY to kick off a conference with a vision and the aspirational title Agenda of abundance. Such was the tone of the address by the ‘king’ of electrification and rewiring the grid Saul Griffith, who says we have just 20 years to get to net zero. His plan to electrify homes and suburbs helps take us there. In a nutshell: “If we electrify the two cars in the average household, we put oversized solar on their rooftops, we electrify their water heaters, electrify the kitchen and electrify any space heating in that household by 2030, we’ll be saving them $5,000–$6,000 per year.” The founder of Rewiring Australia
Griffith told Smart Energy. “Tasmania is coming up strong but we are not doing all the things we need in one place yet so that is what we are championing. It would be a win in Australia if we did a total electrified suburb in every state so you bring all the polices in one location to prove the technology and economics works.” ACT resident David Pocock who two weeks after the conference was voted in as an Independent senator proposes a “suburb zero” pilot in concert with Saul Griffith, saying it was all about “turning challenge into opportunity... the transition is coming whether government
(Rewiringaustralia.org/community) told
likes it or not”.
delegates: “All households need a plan, from cooking to heating, cars, batteries and solar
Independents’ sensible solutions
systems, and we need policies to support the
Fellow pro-climate independent candidate
moves, and more green power from grid.
Zali Steggall emphasised the need to step up
Slides specifying household changes and
the pace of transition and took the podium
consequences depict an undeniable win for
to promote Five Steps to Net Zero and set
the grid, the environment and residents with
Australia on a positive trajectory and benefit
average household energy use/consumption
from the profound economic opportunity
reducing from 102 to 37kWh a day.
ahead of us. “Independents will drive change,”
“There is opportunity for economic renewal
“The SEC Exhibitions are always full of energy, market updates and future developments. It refreshes our enthusiasm for the industry, and encourages us to give a fresh look at our future planning. Thank you SEC for all the overwhelming effort you put into the wellbeing of the renewable energy industry.” RONAK SHAH
solar, battery policy and EV rebates,” Saul
she said.
in Australia and this is how we can turn our
1. Pass the Climate Change Bill – a proven
suburbs into the power plants of the future
model that delivers certainty through a
and do good for the community.
framework.
“The good news is no state is starting
2. Decarbonise energy with 80% renewables by
from zero, all the states have made some
2030 and support REZs, a future transmission
movement in this direction [electrification]
fund to decongest the grid, community
and have pretty good policies, with the ACT
batteries, no coal keeper (which extends the
marginally ahead of others with their rooftop
life of power stations) or gas fired recovery.
