Collaborating across sectors to power the future of sustainable energy
Deakin Energy Networks is an ecosystem of collaborators across industry, government, and research, who share a commitment to an innovative transition to sustainable energy.
The global economic and social prosperity is critically dependent on sourcing a just and rapid energy transition and Deakin Energy Networks is committed to finding solutions to a clean energy future by working with similarly committed key partners.
By partnering with Deakin Energy Networks, government and industry can access the University’s existing assets and talent base, engage with research, training, and commercialisation experts and build their capacity and capability to resolve technical, economic and social barriers in driving clean energy solutions, and at pace.
Establishing an agile and multi-disciplined network will enable impactful research, training and commercialisation in each capability area.
Download the Deakin Energy Networks Prospectus 2023 (PDF, 5.8MB)
Our research pillars
Workforce Development
Deakin is developing multiple pathways through short stackable courses, professional development and micro-credentialing for accreditation. By combining continued excellence in teaching in partnerships with other training providers, Deakin seeks to become a leading provider of energy related talent.
Energy Systems and Data
Deakin has great strengths in engineering, information technology as well as through the Australian Artificial Intelligence Institute (A2I2) and has capability in virtual reality and the internet of things. The Faculty of Business and Law also has experience and exposure in the human experience of technology adoption.
The Human Element
Increasingly commentators are coming to understand that the main challenge to the energy transition is a “people problem”.
Technologies once considered alternative or non-mainstream have not only become common place and accepted but also are cheaper and more accessible for a whole range of energy users.
Deakin will build on previous projects and bring new multi-disciplinary perspectives. Deakin can provide insights, pathways and solutions to planning, social licencing, heritage assessments, behaviour change, consumer perceptions, cluster development and business and community benefit models for energy stakeholders.
Manufacturing and Technology
Australia is potentially on the cusp of a reinvigoration of the manufacturing sector with competitive advantages in the supply of cheap renewable energy combined with storage, access to alternative fuels (e.g. hydrogen), and advances in robotics, artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Through the Institute of Frontier Materials, ManuFutures and the REACH program Deakin has much to offer in terms of materials development and the enablement of the circular economy.
Work with us
Deakin University has an impressive history of successful partnerships in research and development. Tap into Deakin’s combined capabilities from across our faculties, research institutes and centres and collaborate with world-leading researchers who are at the forefront of energy research, innovation and education.
Deakin University has many strengths in the energy sector, ranging from living laboratories; world leading research capabilities across multiple institutes; teaching excellence across various faculties and schools; and exciting programs to support industry and research collaboration
Alfred Deakin Professor Maria Forsyth
Chair of Deakin Energy Networks
Cross-sectoral coalition issues urgent Call To Action on Climate Education Strategy
A coalition of organisations across a range of sectors, including universities, industry and environmental advocacy, have issued a joint call for a national Climate Education Strategy to ensure that Australia can meet its emissions reduction and energy transition targets.
Our industry leading experts
Through the Deakin Energy Networks, you can partner with world-leading researchers in your industry.
Alfred Deakin Professor Maria Forsyth
- A world leader in energy storage and sustainable infrastructure – with 30+ years’ experience in partnering with leading organisations
- Fellow Australian Academy of Sciences (FAA)
- Director ARC Industrial Training Centre for Future Energy Storage Technologies (storEnergy)
- Deputy Director Institute for Frontier Materials (IFM)
- Associate Director ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science (ACES)
- Winner of the Victorian Prize for Science and Innovation (VESKI) 2017
- Inducted to the Victorian Honour Roll of Women 2020
- An internationally recognised pioneer in designing new materials, understanding their behaviour and manufacturing next-generation energy storage
Email: Maria.forsyth@deakin.edu.au
Peter Hansford, Director Deakin Energy Networks
- 20 years’ experience in food and agribusiness and 12 years in cleantech and renewable industry
- Extensive experience in business development across Asia - India through to Japan
- Sustainable industry development experience across regional Australia
- Has worked as a journalist, trade commissioner, and industry advocate
- Expert in maximising exposure of local technologies and regional development opportunities
- Experienced in community and business engagement, strategy, communications and project design and advocacy
- Strategic leader in business and market development
Phone: 0417 050 939
Email: Peter.hansford@deakin.edu.au
Associate Professor Robert Kerr
- More than a decade's experience in electrochemical energy technologies, for both industry and academia.
- Develops new technologies for hydrogen fuel cells, electrolysers, and advanced batteries.
- Leads industry projects in battery materials and cell prototyping at Australia’s premier battery prototyping facility, Deakin’s Battery Research and Innovation Hub.
- Passionate about developing and innovating materials to solve the challenges facing new energy industries.
- Working on ARC Linkage Grant to develop next-generation solid-state batteries to drive an automotive revolution, in collaboration with researchers from Toyota, Japan.
- Member of $9.4m Cooperative Research Centre Project (CRC-P) for Advanced Hybrid Batteries
Mobile: 0434 582 094
Email: robert.kerr@deakin.edu.au
Associate Professor Joshua Newton
- Nationally-regarded authority on consumer perceptions of renewable energy technologies, including distributed energy resources (DER) and green hydrogen
- Associate Dean of Research for Deakin’s Faculty of Business and Law
- Co-founder of the Better Consumption Lab, examining how to motivate sustainable consumption
- Psychology and marketing researcher with a background in environmental science.
- Generating consumer insights to support industry partners such as Mondo Energy, AusNet Services and Australian Energy Market Operator.
- Published research in a range of outlets including European Journal of Marketing and Journal of Business Research.
Phone: +61 3 9251 7830
Email: j.newton@deakin.edu.au
Professor Russell Tytler
- Leads a very successful STEM Education research group
- Serves on science expert group for the OECD PISA assessment.
- Chief investigator on multiple ARC projects in STEM Education
- Author of several influential reports on STEM Education
Phone: +61 3 522 72376
Email: russell.tytler@deakin.edu.au
Professor Mohamed Abdelrazek
- A global authority in [field] — with 24 years’ experience partnering with leading organisations
- Australian Space Researcher of the Year 2021
- Pro Vice-Chancellor of defence technologies
- Leads Australia’s largest research team in systems modelling and simulation
- Conducts globally leading research in intelligent systems — providing the world’s first haptically enabled robotic VR system
Phone: +61 3 924 46140
Email: mohamed.abdelrazek@deakin.edu.au
Research, education and training
Our range of specialised research courses and training will help you gain the expertise needed to develop solutions for global environmental issues.
Our capabilities
Human Element
Theme | Capability | Departments |
---|---|---|
Building/maintaining social licence | Assessing the level of social licence that has been secured in a community with respect to new energy technologies Building social licence with communities Examining how the media shapes community | Better Consumption Lab/ Department of Marketing School of Communication and Creative Arts |
Media and narratives | Examining how the media shapes community Evaluating community narratives about energy Using data journalism to enhance climate and energy literacies | School of Communication and Creative Arts |
Consumer insights | Examining the social psychology for why consumers do – or do not – adopt new energy technologies or behaviours | Better Consumption Lab / Department of Marketing School of Psychology |
Consumer behaviour change | Developing and assessing campaigns aimed at accelerating consumers’ adoption of energy technologies | Better Consumption Lab / Department of Marketing Department of Economics Department of Information Systems and Business Analytics School of Communication and Creative Arts School of Psychology |
Policy development and advocacy | Developing energy-related policies, particularly in the areas of Decarbonising health organisation and Building) | HOME (Strategic Research and Innovation Centre) Sustainable Health Network / School of Health and Social Development |
Policy analysis | Evaluating energy policy, particularly with respect to:
| Deakin Law School |
Policy perceptions | Evaluating public perceptions of proposed energy policy Building public support for proposed energy policies | Better Consumption Lab / Department of Marketing School of Communication and Creative Arts School of Psychology |
Modelling and evaluating energy policy | Modelling the effects that proposed energy policies Evaluating the microeconomic and macroeconomic impacts of energy policy change | Department of Economics Department of Information Systems and Business Analytics |
Energy economics and analytics | Analysing the costs vs. benefits of adopting new energy technologies Identifying the cost/benefit thresholds | Department of Economics Sustainable Health Network / Faculty of Health |
Forecasting energy demand | Short-term forecasting of energy demand at different levels of specificity (suburb, state etc.) Detecting EVs from electricity consumption data | Department of Finance Department of Information Systems and Business Analytics |
Energy efficiency | Reducing the energy demands of new and existing buildings Integration of new energy technologies Renovations of existing housing stock | School of Architecture and Built Environment |
Health and wellbeing implications of passive homes | Evaluating the biophysical and psychosocial implications of living | Sustainable Health Network / School of Health and Social Development |
Enhancing the supply of sustainable housing stock | Identifying the regulatory, financial etc. barriers to enhancing the supply of sustainable homes | HOME (Strategic Research and Innovation Centre) |
Corporate ESG | Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRME) | Department of Management, Deakin Business School |
Workforce development
Theme | Capability | Departments |
---|---|---|
Responsive industry training packages | Hydrogen mobility and storage | Hycel |
Battery innovation Advanced battery materials and technologies - scale-up. | The Battery Research and Innovation Hub | |
Sustainable manufacturing and construction | Manufutures | |
Technical staff training for transforming the workforce for new manufacturing methods I4.0 and I5.0 | School of Engineering Institute for Frontier Materials (IFM) | |
Microgrids, integrating energy systems | School of Engineering School of Information Technology (IT) Global Studios | |
Commercialisation partnerships | REACH | |
Curriculum design | Developing and evaluating school classroom-based resources that bring contemporary science issues, such as renewable energy, climate change education into the classroom. Building the capacity of teachers to leverage these resources. Building the capacity of teachers to leverage these resources. | School of Education |
Developing and evaluating energy curricula for undergraduate and TAFE courses | School of Engineering Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment (SEBE) | |
Career awareness | Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment (SEBE) | |
Co-design and implementation of REACH-aligned (renewable and circular economies) educational resources with educators | School of Education Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment (SEBE) | |
Developing and evaluating sustainability /energy related curricula for business / responsible management | Department of Management, Deakin Business School Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRME) Director | |
Continuing professional development program for engineers | School of Engineering | |
Energy technology courses for professional users | Institute for Frontier Materials (IFM) | |
Just transition short courses | School of Engineering Business management & Law | |
Developing climate change education courses for professionals | School of Education | |
Development and implementation of circular economy/sustainable chemistry courses for educators/ professionals | School of Education | |
Energy sector education and training policy and practice | Reviewing workforce demands for energy transition | Deakin Energy Networks Institute for Frontier Materials (IFM) Hycel |
Energy transition sector career advice | Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment (SEBE) | |
Climate Change /Energy transition communication | Faculty of Arts and Education | |
Life cycle assessment | Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment (SEBE) | |
Stackable short courses | Modular short courses for professional development or to flexibly fit into qualifications, focused on energy transitions. | School of Engineering School of Education Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment (SEBE) storEnergy aligned to Global Studio |
MOOCs | Development to order of MOOCS for funded projects | Global studio School of Engineering |
Microcredentials | Currently being explored to contribute to multiple courses. | Global studio School of Education School of Engineering |
Energy System and Data
Theme | Capability | Departments |
---|---|---|
Electric Vehicles |
| School of Information Technology (IT) |
Smart Meters |
| School of Information Technology (IT) |
Digital Twins | Develop innovative twins of different energy systems at different levels of granularities and different use cases. This allows efficient and practical management, operation and planning of the energy system under consideration. | School of Information Technology (IT) Applied AI Institute |
Planning Charging & Refuelling Networks | Develop models to inform the sizing and placement of different charging and refuelling infrastructures taking into account technical and financial benefits | School of Information Technology (IT) |
Cyber-physical energy systems | Smart grid, cyber-physical modelling, cybersecurity | School of Engineering |
Communications and networks for smart energy systems | School of Engineering | |
Big data, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, data analytics applications | School of Engineering | |
Demand response and demand side management | School of Engineering | |
Energy trading and transactive energy management | School of Engineering | |
Future power grid | Power system dynamics, stability, control and protection | School of Engineering |
Security assessment of the power grid in the presence of distributed generators and microgrids | School of Engineering | |
Power system economics | School of Engineering | |
Microgrid systems as components of the power network data-driven event-triggered control for microgrids and power systems | School of Engineering | |
| School of Engineering | |
Renewable energy and energy storage |
| School of Engineering |
Data-driven modeling, estimation and control for inverter-interfaced renewable energy systems | Data-driven modeling for power systems integrated with inverter-interfaced renewable energy systems. Data-driven estimation methods for large-scale power systems with limited system knowledge and unknown and uncertain inputs. Data-driven and machine learning enabled control for inverter-based modern power grids with model predictive control and renewable and load forecasting. | School of Engineering |
Network Modelling and Management including advanced predicative maintenance and anomalies | Modelling technical aspects of the LV/MV networks, vegetation and network physical infrastructure health monitoring using AI/ML (e.g. computer vision /drones to inspect poles) | School of Information Technology (IT) School of Engineering Applied AI Institute |
Energy systems feasibility | Conduct feasibility studies and toolset to assess different energy solutions – e.g. microgrids, community batteries, etc. | School of Information Technology (IT) School of Engineering Applied AI Institute |
Infrastructure Security and Data Security & Privacy | Design and develop security protocols, plan and propose risk management frameworks, model cyber attacks and define attack detection/mitigation modules, design and develop data privacy protocols | Deakin Cyber Research and Innovation Centre |
Consumer/device behaviour profiling | Develop AI/ML models and systems to predict the demand and generation of different parts in the network depending on historic data | Applied AI Institute School of Information Technology (IT) School of Engineering |
Awareness and Education | Develop software systems including AR/VR capabilities to train different stakeholders including planners, operators, consumers |
Manufacturing and Technology
Theme | Capability | Departments |
---|---|---|
Batteries | Materials development Cell prototyping Cell testing Product testing (EV, residential) Noise vibration of cells and modules Fault diagnosis | Institute for Frontier Materials (IFM) The Battery Research and Innovation Hub Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment (SEBE) |
Fuel Cells | Materials development Cell modelling Component manufacture Stack assembly | Hycel Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment (SEBE) Institute for Frontier Materials (IFM) |
Critical metals | Mineralogy and characterisation Electrochemical recovery method development Catalysts | Institute for Frontier Materials (IFM) |
Hybrid energy systems engineering | Stack testing Inverter design and prototyping | Hycel Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment (SEBE) School of Information Technology (IT) Institute for Intelligent Systems Research and Innovation (IISRI) Manufutures Applied AI Institute |
Materials for H2 distribution and storage systems | Materials compatibility testing Pipework field testing Metals/alloys design and performance | Hycel Institute for Frontier Materials (IFM) Carbon Nexus |
Device housing/structural components | Mechanical design Additive manufacturing Engineering services Flexible forming Thermal modeling/management (cruise software) | Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment (SEBE) Manufutures Institute for Frontier Materials (IFM) Institute for Intelligent Systems Research and Innovation (IISRI) |
Micro-grids | Design of stand-alone microgrids Design of resilient power supplies including grid-connected microgrids for edge of grid communities Demand forecasting and pricing (query A2I2 software design capacity) Performance optimization Software design | Micro-grid Faculty of Business and Law Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment (SEBE) Applied AI Institute |
Sustainable energy infrastructure | Modelling, design of infrastructure including off-shore wind turbines and solar farms Construction of solar farms, wind turbines and other components Energy pipelines for future fuels (metals) Structure health monitoring and protection | Deakin Digital Design and Engineering Centre (3DEC) Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment (SEBE) School of Information Technology (IT) Institute for Frontier Materials (IFM) Institute for Intelligent Systems Research and Innovation (IISRI) |
Economic impact and feasibility | Cost benefit analysis and feasibility P2P energy trading Natural experiments Field experiments Impact on intangibles eg environment Life-cycle modelling Total cost of ownership models | Faculty of Business and Law Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment (SEBE) Research partnerships Institute for Frontier Materials (IFM) |
IoT | IoT design and development Sensor technology development Communications development IoT implementation Data capture and data analysis IoT systems integration | Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment (SEBE) Manufutures Institute for Intelligent Systems Research and Innovation (IISRI) School of Information Technology (IT) Applied AI Institute |
Our energy research infrastructure
Nationally significant initiatives like the Battery Research and Innovation Hub and Hycel, in conjunction with microgrids can provide industry with greater control over their energy future. Explore our research institutes, facilities and initiatives.
Contact us
Interested in working with Deakin Energy Networks? Get in touch.
Sona Shekibi
Project Coordinator
Deakin Energy Networks
Email: dens@deakin.edu.au