Ensuring First Nations are empowered to shape and benefit from energy transitions is a growing priority for First Nations communities, government and the renewable energy sector. One major opportunity is for First Nations communities to use their land estate for utility energy projects that contribute to energy transition goals. While mechanisms exist to return land to First Nations to support cultural and economic outcomes, First Nations communities have largely remained excluded from economic benefits of this land access. The energy transition offers a significant opportunity for a different story to be written, particularly with the emergence of renewable energy zones overlapping areas of First-Nations held land and policy support mechanisms through the Capacity Investment Scheme and NSW Renewable Energy Road Map incentivising renewable energy proponents to engage with First Nations. As in earlier economic waves and for other community groups interesting in renewable energy, a key issue for First Nations groups is access to early technical support to understand opportunities available to them and the value that they can offer to the renewable energy sector.
In this project the student will work to develop user-facing energy-prediction and financial modelling tools to enable First Nations community groups to understand and assess existing and potential opportunities in the energy transition.
Students with backgrounds in renewable energy, electrical engineering, computing science or software engineering are encouraged to apply.
School
Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering
Research Area
Renewable energy yield prediction | Financial modelling | Human-computer interaction (HCI)
Suitable for recognition of Work Integrated Learning (industrial training)?
Yes
- Research environment
- Expected outcomes
- Supervisory team
- Reference material/links
The student will be supported by UNSW-based researchers in the School of Photovoltaics and Solar Energy Engineering and will engage with community and industry project partners. The student will both proprietary and publicly available data and modelling tools. The work will consist of data preparation, analysis, modelling, and user-interface design with support provided for area's outside the student's core competence.
In this project the student will work to develop user-facing energy-prediction and financial modelling tools to enable First Nations community groups to understand and assess existing and potential opportunities in the energy transition. The student will develop technical expertise with the opportunity to position this in a the complex and exciting area of First Nations empowerment. The student will develop their experience working with industry and community stakeholders.
- Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. 2024. “First Nations Clean Energy Strategy 2024 - 2030.”
- First Nations Clean Energy Network. 2023. “Tool Kit.” https://www.firstnationscleanenergy.org.au/tool_kit.
- National Native Title Council. 2023. “Media Release: There Is No Net Zero Economy without First Nations Policy Change.”
- Norman, Heidi, Chris Briggs, and Therese Apolonio. 2023. “Advancing Aboriginal Interests in the New South Wales Renewable Energy Transition.”