By 2025, our planet will be home to nearly eight billion people. That is two billion more than today. Most of these people will be living in cities. In addition, life expectancy is continuously increasing in both the developing and industrialized nations. Australia's immigration intake is faster today then during any previous century. In light of these developments, how can we meet the growing demand for energy without degrading the environment? How can we shape the future of manufacturing so that more and better goods can be produced using fewer natural resources?

Innovation in the environments in which we live and work is becoming more important as the world’s population continues to grow. The trend towards megacities and urbanization makes smart, sustainable building management systems increasingly crucial. Urban wind turbines do not even have to be urgly. They can easily be integrated with mobile phone towers and from part of a hi-tec sculptural garden. The vast majority of Australian's live on or near the coast. Using Australia's clean wind energy resources effectively and efficiently means that Australia needs to consider offshore wind farms if it wants to meet its growing energy needs.

A significant amount of the energy produced in Australia is wasted. Over head power lines and other inefficiencies in the energy grid from the production end and throughout the distribution network need to be addressed urgently. Building codes and local planning laws need to be changed to allow individual home owners, small and large businesses, the opportunity to generate their own energy. Establishing a set electricity pricing system for green energy will ensure that excess capacity will feed into the electricity grid at a reasonable return. Australian farmers could easily use low productive land and become energy farmers the way they do in Europe and the US. These long term strategic policies require a significant policy re-think by bureaucrats and politicians who's fixation with solar continues to stifle debate. What must be done before the establishing of an ETS ( carbon pollution tax ) is the development of a green energy pricing scheme that regulates the price and the minimum green energy production for each state by 2018. Any subsequent ETS would then only apply to energy produced from non-green sources, significantly reducing the cost to all areas of the Australian economy. It is clear that the Australian federal and state government's must re-think their entire energy strategy and to deliver real and positive incentives to industry. This must be done prior to addressing the fundamental price of energy and the manner in which energy is produced, bought and sold throughout the Australian National Electricity Grid. The establishment of policies of disincentive instead of delivering positive policy outcomes within a realistic target framework can only have three outcomes, raising the cost of energy at a disproportionate rate, stagnating investment and economic growth.

It is clear that current investments in green energy are calculated on the basis of the existing spot price system. Energy companies will always manipulate this price by controlling the amount of energy that will flow into the national grid unless there is a minimum mandated production target as well as a set national pricing system for clean as well as dirty energy production. By setting the price of dirty energy production higher then that produced by environmentally sustainable ways and leveraging the price difference across all consumers evenly the Australian governments can ensure a fair electricity regulation scheme for all consumers that does not harm economic progress, whilst growing jobs and reducing Australia's carbon footprint.

Research Agenda

The institute research into the education & training, social, economic , urban and regional development as well as environmental aspects of the wind energy industry focuses on solutions. This research addresses government policy and business modeling and their likely impact on local, national and international communities.

Research Focus

The institute acts as a referral and advisory centre for engineering and scientific research support, whilst monitoring the impact of new research breakthroughs in wind generation and capacity management.
The institute is engaged in ongoing research that focuses on the comparative cost of past, present and future pollution emissions.
The Institute focuses on economic modeling into the comparative costs of energy production, resource extraction, environmental policies and the energy production costs variations between countries. This model may prove an invaluable contributor to future policies whilst providing comparative advantages to those industries seeking to offset carbon costs globally.
The institute conducts research into hybrid power systems for domestic and industrial use.
Research and consulting work into man power training as well as micro and macro economic modeling into carbon offset and carbon trading business models are keys tasks.
Research into how to engage business, industry, local communities and primary producer groups in renewable and self-sustaining energy ventures to meet Australia's renewable energy targets.
Reducing Australia's carbon footprint, whilst focusing individuals, Australian governments, industry and Australia's primary sector onto the task of becoming energy producers rather then net energy consumers is a major institute objective.
Research into the establishment of positive government policy in a long term workable strategic planning and management framework that engages industry leaders in a climate of legislative disincentives are key long term goals between now and 2020.
The institute is actively advising community leaders, primary producers in a variety of carbon brokerage and investment leverage services aimed at building a distributed energy production system for local communities, businesses and individuals based on a proven European model.

Research News

Wind Site Assessment and Blade maintenance & optimization has been advanced by CSIRO and GH Bladed.
Microsoft has initiated some recent developments for SubStation Management that is currently being researched by AWEI , GE and PowerCor in association with Council Approved Wind Sites.
There are a number of smart grid developments around the world. Through our Microsoft Network the AWEI is currently monitoring GE & MS test carried in Maui. Read More...

Research Management Expertise

Project Management
Policy Development and Analysis
Strategic Analysis and Strategic development
Planning Analsyis and Management
BDM - Business Develpopment and Modelling
IDM - Investment Development and Modelling
Economic modelling and Labour Market analysis
Energy Modelling and Needs Analysis
ITC Network Systems Design, Management and software solutions development
E-Learning and Teaching, E-commerce and E-management solutions