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Centre for Renewable Energy

The Centre for Renewable Energy was established through a partnership of Charles Darwin University (CDU) and the Northern Territory Government. The Centre is located in the School of Engineering and Information Technology at CDU's Casuarina (Darwin) campus. The aim of the Centre is to ensure the Territory has the local capability to build its renewable energy sector, and provide leadership on renewable energy and low emissions deployment in the Territory context.

Current opportunities within the Centre

The Centre will occasionally have opportunities for casual work and student projects. If interested, please contact the Centre using the details below.

Background

The Northern Territory Government's Climate Change policy contains targets relating to generating electricity from renewable resources.

Some renewable energy is already produced in the Northern
Territory from solar and biomass resources. Solar photovoltaic panels have been used in remote communities and pastoral properties to reduce the consumption of diesel.

In urban areas, the Alice Springs Solar City initiative has led to many solar systems being installed on homes and the Crowne Plaza Alice Springs solar arrays generate over 530,000 kWh per year. In Darwin, a 1MW generator using methane gas has been installed at the Shoal Bay landfill site in Darwin. The generator produces approximately 9,000MWh of renewable energy per annum.

Centre Activities

The Centre for Renewable Energy will develop programs and capabilities to drive growth in renewable energy and low-emissions technology in the Northern Territory by providing informed guidance, targeted research, demonstration activities and education/training in both the vocational and higher education sectors.

Research Themes

Research themes for the Centre are being developed and may include:

• development or integration of renewable energy technologies
• review of policy frameworks to facilitate uptake of renewable energy and energy efficiency
• economic and social evaluation of alternative energy and energy efficiency strategies
• workforce analysis to support implementation of renewable energy strategies

Centre Research and Development Capabilities

CDU staff have the following renewable energy-related capabilities:

• Design and optimisation of the photovoltaic performance of amorphous silicon solar cells
• Power System Reliability, Power System Protection
• Power System Analysis
• Mechanical Engineering of Solar System Components
• Fluid Mechanics & Turbines
• Human Computer Interaction
• Biomass production
• Hydraulic and hydrodynamic modelling
• Energy Industry analysis
• Eliciting Indigenous values and preferred development strategies
• Designing policy incentives
• Scenario modelling
• Rural development
• Adaptation and vulnerability to climate change

Centre Contact Details