Engineering
For as long as I remember I have been interested in how things work, and how to make things work better. Currently I work part time as an electrical engineer on research and development work for Close Comfort, however continue my interest in some fascinating engineering projects.
Electric Vehicles and Vehicle to Grid
For the last few years I have been keen on the idea of vehicle to grid applications as we see a wave of electric vehicles enter the market all over the world. One of my dreams is to convert my car to electric and then do a trip around Australia filling up on a few dollars of electricity each time. Due to the mechanics of an electric vehicle, they are significantly more environmentally friendly, even if all the electricity comes from coal! As more of our energy comes from wind, solar, wave, geothermal and biomass, any electric vehicles on the grid are becoming greener by the day. Through vehicle to grid we can also do an exchange of energy at different times to facilitate energy demand management.
I would like to see the co-operation of several businesses and the government on a consistent and proven vehicle to grid strategy which not only takes the pressure off our electricity generation during summer, but also reduces our carbon footprint, decreases the cost per unit to generate energy, and dampens our addiction to coal, gas and oil. The foundation to such co operation is solid understanding of a the technical challenges and advantages Western Australia has to offer.
Sustainable Energy
I am also very interested in Sustainable Energy and the amazing potential in Western Australia. I would love to see the widespread adoption of renewable energy in WA, however there are technical challenges to overcome. Largely I feel the problem is a lack of up to date knowledge in the industry and the inability to take business risks no matter what the rewards. There will be a time in the near future however where we see some big changes in WA's energy infrastructure, and luckily some interesting events seem to be lining up nicely which will prompt the action required to jump the hurdle.
I am also a member of Sustainable Energy Now and make it when I can to their discussions. SEN is a grass roots group dedicated to the adoption of renewable and sustainable energy in Western Australia, and has put together a simulation demonstrating the ability for combinations of sustainable energy generation to be connected to the south west interconnected system.