Sustainable energy education: addressing the needs of students and industry in Australia

A survey has been carried out of graduates and employers working in the sustainable energy (SE) industry in Australia. The aims were to identify the key areas of content to be included in University level SE training and the type of degree structures that are most appropriate for SE professionals. Attention was also directed to the mode of instruction (online, blended or face-to-face) and the role of work-integrated learning (WIL). This paper presents the results of the survey, which provide guidance to Universities seeking to develop new, or revise existing, SE education offerings. The results of the survey clearly indicate that responding students and employers prefer a generalist degree in engineering, with a stream in sustainable energy as the initial qualification for professionals in this field. Specialist degrees at postgraduate level were also considered appropriate for continuing professional education (CPE). Both graduates and employers agreed on key areas to be included in the SE courses. These key areas are generic skills (research methods, team work, report writing), generation technologies (especially PV, wind and biomass), and enablers (such as economics, policy and project management). The graduates, many of whom came from overseas countries, generally agreed about the course content and its relevance to employment in their countries. Face-to-face or blended learning was preferred by both groups as the mode of instruction for the first degree. Online learning was considered a valuable adjunct in the undergraduate course and more suitable for CPE in postgraduate courses. WIL and more practical work were considered important, especially in the first degree. There was some disagreement about the appropriate length of work placements, with graduates preferring 6–8 weeks and employers 10–12 weeks. This work should provide a basis for further course development and curriculum reform for sustainable energy education

Solar gas turbine systems with centrifugal particle receivers, for remote power generation

There is a growing demand from remote communities in Australia to increase the amount of decentralised renewable energy in their energy supply mix in order to decrease their fuel costs. In contrast to large scale concentrated solar power (CSP) plants, small solar-hybrid gas turbine systems promise a way to decentralise electricity generation at power levels in the range of 0.1- 10 MWe, and reduce to cost of energy production for off-grid, isolated communities. Thermal storage provides such CSP Systems with an advantage over photovoltaic (PV) technology as this would be potentially cheaper than adding batteries to PV systems or providing stand-by back-up systems such as diesel fuelled generators. Hybrid operation with conventional fuels and solar thermal collection and storage ensures the availability of power even if short term solar radiation is not sufficient or the thermal storage is empty. This paper presents initial modelling results of a centrifugal receiver (CentRec) system, using hourly weather data of regional Australia for a 100 kWe microturbine as well as a more efficient and cost effective 4.6 MWe unit. The simulations involve calculation and optimisation of the heliostat field, by calculating heliostat by heliostat annual performance. This is combined with a model of the receiver efficiency based on experimental figures and a model of the particle storage system and turbine performance data. The optimized design for 15 hours of thermal storage capacity results in a tower height of 35 m and a solar field size of 2100 m² for the 100 kWe turbine, and a tower height of 115 m and solar field size of 50 000 m² for the 4.6 MWe turbine. The solar field provides a greater portion of the operational energy requirement for the 100 kWe turbine, as the TIT of the 4.6 MWe turbine (1150°C) is greater than what the solar system can provide. System evaluations of the two particle receiver systems, with a selection of cost assumptions, are then compared to the current conventional means of supplying energy in such remote locations

Accelerating hydrogen implementation by mass production of a hydrogen bus chassis

Much of the hydrogen vehicle research to date has been conducted and demonstrated in wealthy nations, with very few exceptions. However, developing economies are largely dependent on public transportation, and struggle with air pollution and energy security concerns. The developing regions are in great need of alternative transportation solutions, and although many alternatives are being explored, hydrogen-fueled vehicles are emerging as one of the only technologies that can meet the demands for lower greenhouse gas emissions, lower emissions of air pollutants, and reduced dependence on imported energy. Many conventional buses in developing regions are built from an imported 'buggy-chassis', which is a functional bus chassis with an engine and other auxiliaries. 'Buggy-chassis' are designed with a very short wheel-base dimension to reduce freight costs as they are often shipped overseas. Domestic companies extend the 'buggy-chassis' to full bus length, build the body and cabin, and install other auxiliary systems. The existing infrastructure of the bus buggy-chassis market can be used to leverage hydrogen technology for mass production. This solution allows developing nations to import a state-of-the-art vehicle, with the possibility for local content in the final delivered product, while maintaining the flexibility for innovative technological developments and promoting hydrogen research within the developing economies. Indeed, a modular series-hybrid drivetrain can be made adaptable to a range of primary power sources such as an internal combustion engine or fuel cell engine. The modular approach provides an opportunity to reduce cost while still providing flexibility for innovation, and allows customers to tailor performance to suit their topographical and operational needs.Transportation Hydrogen Fuel cell Hydrogen combustion Alternative energy

Solar photovoltaic (PV) on atolls: Sustainable development of rural and remote communities in Kiribati

On the remote and geographically fragmented atolls of Kiribati (Republic of), imported petroleum products are the main sources of energy. The other sources of energy utilised include biomass, solar energy and wind power. Of these three renewable energy sources, biomass is the most, and wind power is the least, exploited in terms of the contribution it makes to the total primary energy supply. Solar energy makes a very insignificant contribution to the total primary energy supply in Kiribati. Petroleum products, biomass and solar energy contribute approximately 75%, 25% and less than 1%, respectively to the total primary energy supply annually. Solar energy has been exploited mostly in the form of photovoltaic (PV) technologies for the provision of lighting. The geographical, social, economic and political situation in Kiribati is considered in this paper to give an overview of the country. The current energy situation in Kiribati is presented with emphasis on the application of PV technologies. Some recommendations that will promote sustainable development of the rural and remote communities on the outer atolls of Kiribati, through the use of PV technologies, are also presented in this paper.Kiribati Renewable energy Solar energy Photovoltaic (PV) Rural and remote communities

Influence of occupancy on building energy performance: a case study from social housing dwellings in Perth, Western Australia

Worldwide, the residential sector is a substantial energy consumer mainly due to the requirements of space heating and cooling, lighting and electronic appliances in the building. In Australia, the residential sector accounts for a significant proportion of final energy consumption, with a significant proportion of this energy attributed to space conditioning. Appliances including lighting, refrigeration, water heating, cooking and standby power also factoring into the energy used in Australian households. In response to sharp rises in energy prices in recent years, many households are taking steps to reduce their energy consumption. Many are investing in energy efficient appliances, home upgrades, installing rooftop solar panels, etc. However, low income can become a barrier, preventing many people from investing in energy efficiency as a way of reducing costs. This paper is a part of a broader study aiming to identify the areas of energy inefficiency in social housing dwellings, and improve the overall efficiency through modifying occupants’ energy use culture. The firsthand information on where and how energy is used in the dwellings was collected through conducting walk-through energy audits in the sample dwellings. This information was then combined with the information provided by the households’ representatives on the time of use of their appliances as well as direct observations to calculate energy consumption in these households. Practical guidelines were then proposed, taking into account their energy use behaviour to minimize their energy consumption at a minimum cost

Incorporating the user perspective into a proposed model for assessing success of SHS implementations

Modern energy can contribute to development in multiple ways while approximately 20% of world's populations do not yet have access to electricity. Solar Home Systems (SHSs) consists of a PV module, a charge controller and a battery supply in the range of 100 Wh/d in Sunbelt countries. The question addressed in this paper is how SHS users approach success of their systems and how these user's views can be integrated in to an existing model of success. Information was obtained on the user's approach to their SHSs by participatory observation, interviews with users and by self-observation undertaken by the lead author while residing under SHS electricity supply conditions. It was found that success of SHSs from the users' point of view is related to the ability of these systems to reduce the burdens of supplying energy services to homesteads. SHSs can alleviate some energy supply burdens, and they can improve living conditions by enabling communication on multiple levels and by addressing convenience and safety concerns. However, SHSs do not contribute to the energy services which are indispensable for survival, nor to the thermal energy services required and desired in dwellings of Sunbelt countries. The elements of three of the four components of our previously proposed model of success have been verified and found to be appropriate, namely the user's self-set goals, their importance and SHSs' success factors. The locally appropriate, and scientifically satisfactory, measurement of the level of achievement of self-set goals, the fourth component of our model of success, remains an interesting area for future research

Influence of occupancy on building energy performance: a case study from social housing dwellings in Perth, Western Australia

Worldwide, the residential sector is a substantial energy consumer mainly due to the requirements of space heating and cooling, lighting and electronic appliances in the building. In Australia, the residential sector accounts for a significant proportion of final energy consumption, with a significant proportion of this energy attributed to space conditioning. Appliances including lighting, refrigeration, water heating, cooking and standby power also factoring into the energy used in Australian households. In response to sharp rises in energy prices in recent years, many households are taking steps to reduce their energy consumption. Many are investing in energy efficient appliances, home upgrades, installing rooftop solar panels, etc. However, low income can become a barrier, preventing many people from investing in energy efficiency as a way of reducing costs. This paper is a part of a broader study aiming to identify the areas of energy inefficiency in social housing dwellings, and improve the overall efficiency through modifying occupants’ energy use culture. The firsthand information on where and how energy is used in the dwellings was collected through conducting walk-through energy audits in the sample dwellings. This information was then combined with the information provided by the households’ representatives on the time of use of their appliances as well as direct observations to calculate energy consumption in these households. Practical guidelines were then proposed, taking into account their energy use behaviour to minimize their energy consumption at a minimum cost

Renewing the sustainable energy curriculum - providing internationally relevant skills for a carbon constrained economy: Final Report 2014

The aims of the project were to scope and develop sustainable energy curriculum frameworks for Australian higher education Institutions that meet the needs of Australian and international student graduates and employers, both now and into the near future. The focus was on student centred learning and outcomes and to support graduates with the knowledge, skills and generic attributes required to work in the rapidly expanding sustainable energy industry in Australia and globally. The outputs of the project are designed to be relevant to specialist Sustainable Engineering and Energy Studies programs, as well as conventional engineering, science and humanities and social science programs that have a sustainable energy focus or major

Hybrid Solar and Coal-Fired Steam Power Plant with Air Preheating Using a Solid Particle Receiver

Fuel reduction has been achieved for coal power stations by hybridisation with solar thermal systems. Current technology uses feedwater or turbine bleed steam (TBS) heating with linear Fresnel based concentrated solar power (CSP) fields. The low temperature heat produced by these systems results in low solar to power conversion efficiency and very low annual solar shares. In this paper the technical advantages of solarising coal fired power plants using preheated air by a novel CSP system based on a solid particle receiver (SPR) are examined. This system is compared to the current deployed state-of-the-art coal plant solarisation by modelling the systems and analysing the thermodynamic heat and mass balance of the steam cycle and coal boiler using EBSILON®Professional software. Annual performance simulation tools are also used to calculate the performance of the solarisation technologies. Solarisation using SPR technology for preheating air in solar-coal hybrid power stations has the potential to considerably increase the solar share of the energy input by 28% points at design point and improve the annual fuel reduction from 0.7% fuel saved to 20% over the year. This is a significant reduction in fossil fuel requirements and resulting emissions. These benefits are a result of SPR solar system’s higher operating temperature and integrated thermal storage, which also allow a buffered response time for handling transients in the intermittent solar resource. Analysis indicates air-solarisation of coal plants can enable 81% higher solar to electric conversion efficiency than currently existing solar hybridisation option. Thus, the cost of the thermal energy generated by Fresnel based TBS solarisation must be up to 38% lower than thermal energy generation of secondary air preheating SPR system for economic parity between the options. Initial calculations indicate that the required thermal energy cost levels for SPR systems for this application are already achievable