All Energy Australia Conference Agenda 2025

Pathways to energy transition
Chair:Peter Hawkes, Managing Director, Woods Street

Panel discussion: Transitioning in tight times: How governments accelerate energy transition under budget pressure

Moderator:
Ben Coles, Head of Energy Transition, Jarden

Panellists:
The Hon Matt Kean, Chair, Climate Change Authority

Chloe Hicks, Executive Director, Strategy & Policy, EnergyCo (NSW Government)

Tim Nelson, Chair, Review of the National Energy Market (NEM) Australian Government

Panel discussion: Private sector funding success stories

Moderator:
Peter Hawkes, Managing Director, Woods Street

Panellists:
Paul Curnow, Managing Director & Chief Commercia Officer, Akaysha Energy

Anthony Garnaut, Chief Executive Officer, ZEN Energy

Cathryn McArthur, Executive General Manager - Customer and Strategy, AGIG

Sponsored by:

11:10am-12:10pm

REZs and planning: Navigating the path from proposal to approval
Chair:

Panellists:
David Snashall, Associate Director | Energy Market Leader, EMM Consulting

David Knight, Regional Director - Victoria, Umwelt

Eliza Budd, Senior Environment and Development Planner, Mint Renewables

Alicia Webb, Victorian Development Lead, HMC Capital

Carla Evans, Senior Development Manager, OX2

Hosted by:

Developments in grid integration technology
Chair: Oliver Lee, Head of Distributed Energy Resources, Enel X

Fireside chat: Tasmania’s role in developing deep storage and grid reliability
Rachel Watson, Chief Executive Officer, Hydro Tasmania

Fireside chat: Reshaping the grid: Enabling renewable integration through smart infrastructure and load management
Jennifer Hughes, Executive General Manager Delivery, Transgrid

Distributed intelligence at the edge
Emily Gadaleta, Senior Energy Policy Advisor, Tesla

Panel discussion

How AI predictive analytics improve BESS asset management
Alan Coller, Head of Australia, ACCURE Battery Intelligence

Lessons and future directions from ARENA’S grid-forming battery portfolio
Josiah Fajardo, Practice Lead, Infrastructure Analytics, Ekistica

Australian-made solar, powered through innovation and collaboration
Robert Sporne, Head of Innovation and Development, Tindo Solar

11:20am – 12:40pm

Future Horizons: How startups are shaping Australian energy innovation
This panel explores why startups are vital to Australia’s clean energy future—driving bold ideas, testing new technologies, and accelerating the race to net zero.

Keynote:
Megan Fisher, CEO & Director, EnergyLab

Panel:
Chair: Nick Zeltzer, Managing Partner, Positive Ventures

Panellists:
Ben Gust, Managing Partner, Virescent Ventures

Kristy Battista, Chief Technology Officer, Jupiter Ionics

Megan Fisher, CEO & Director, EnergyLab

John Wood, Chief Executive Officer, Gelion

Hosted by:

Integrate communities with planning
Chair: Tilly Oborn, Senior Advisor, Consentium

Safety = Social license
Leanne Hughson, Chief Executive Officer, Energy Safe Victoria

Ensuring an accessible transition for consumers
Lyn Bowring, Executive Director, Department of Energy, Environment & Climate Action (DEECA)

Engagement for Victoria's first offshore wind transmission line
Suzanne Waddell, Community and Stakeholder Lead, Vicgrid

Fireside chat: The power of partnerships; Combatting extreme energy poverty
Daniel Belzer, Executive Director, SolarBuddy & Stephen Forshaw, Chief Representative, Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific, Airbus

11:10am - 12:10pm

Beyond the blueprint: Mitigating risk & challenges and maximising performance in utility solar deployment
Chair: Derick Botha, Chief Commercial Officer, GameChange Solar

Moderator:
Gero Farruggio, Partner, New Energies & Head of Australia, Rystad Energy

Panellists:
Amit Kaushik, Chief Technology Officer, FRV Australia

Eric Morell, Pre-construction & Construction Risk Manager, PCL Solar Australia

Pat Behan, National Renewable Energy Leader, Aon

Nick Easingwood, Head of New Energy, Project & Export Finance, ANZ

Derick Botha, Chief Commercial Officer, GameChange Solar

12:10pm -12:40pm

Designing for Resilience: Extreme Weather, Wind, Hail and Risk Management for Single-Axis Solar Trackers
Nathaniel Healy, Product Director, GameChange Solar

Parsa Enshaei, Associate Principal, CPP Wind Engineering Consultants

Jon Previtali, VP and Senior Principal Engineer, VDE Americas

Sponsored by:

Energy efficiency for data centres
Chair: Deepak Sambhi, Partner, KPMG

Getting to nature positive: Data centres and new industrial co-location centres.
Chris Leat, Director, CLASP

Creating grid interactive data centres
Bradie Cetin, Power & Grid Solution Architect, Schneider Electric

Datacenters: The Grid’s Hottest New Influencer
William Hall, Sales & Business Development Manager, SMA Australia

Panel discussion

Uplifting cyber security in Australia’s renewable energy sector
Darren Gladman, Head of Policy & Regulatory Affairs, SMA Australia

Connecting data centres to Australian NSPs: Why are we struggling?
Deepak Sambhi, Partner, KPMG

Unlocking demand side resources to support the energy transition
Chair: Jeremy Sung, Head of Policy, Energy Efficiency Council

Unlocking demand side resources
James Rourke-Dunkley, Program Manager, Shell Energy

AEMO's engineering roadmap to 100% renewables
Jonathon Dore, Manager DER Technical Integration, AEMO

Revisiting our energy system transformation
Craig Memery, Senior Advisor, Energy, Justice and Equity Centre

Maximising the value of demand flexibility: Innovative network approaches
Candice Hincksman, Manager Demand and Energy Management, Energy Queensland

Activating the demand side for the 21st Century NEM
Dr Gabrielle Kuiper, Independent DER specialist

Hosted by:

TRANSPORT

11:00am-11:30am

Disruption doesn’t have to mean disruptive: Managing new technology as the transport sector evolves
Rebecca Wilson, Head of Energy Business Solutions ANZ, Ampol

CHARGING

11:30am – 12:00pm

Charging: roles in different segments
Anita Saunders, Program Manager, Electric Vehicle Charging Network, RAA

12:00pm – 1:00pm

Panel discussion: EV charging optimisation: Challenges and opportunities

Moderator:
Bjorn Siem, Senior Policy Manager, Electric Vehicle Council

Panellists:

Tom Rose, Product Owner, Evnex

Derek Thomson, Managing Director, NOVEOR

Jack Kotlyar, Head of Green Transport. Energy Australia

Will Beaumont, Founder, Canyon Solar

Josh Hoevenaars, Business Development Manager, bp pulse ANZ

Sponsored by:

Hosted by:

10:50am – 11:10am

Electrifying Communities: From Households to Councils, Real Lessons from the Field
Trent Jones, Founder & Group Managing Director, All Electric Homes

HOT WATER

11:10am – 11:30am

Hot water pathways for social housing: Design guidelines for housing providers
David Roche, Research Director, UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures

Aditi Phansalkar, Senior Research Consultant, UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures

11:30am – 11:50am

Five decades of delivering energy efficiency and electrification, with heat pumps at the core
Glenn Day, Head of Public Affairs & Engagement, Stiebel Eltron

11:50am – 12:10pm

Programs to support plumbers electrify hot water
Shayne La Combre, CEO, Plumbing Industry Climate Action Centre (PICAC)

Hosted by:

10:15am – 10:45am

New hybrid inverter technology & products
10 CPD POINTS

The session will cover concepts of operation, string configurations, addressing module mismatches for higher yields and understanding common DC bus configuration, system expansions, battery connection & efficiencies.

James Sturch, Technical Director, International Markets, SolarEdge Technologies

10:45am – 11:30am

How the Plumbing Industry is contributing to the Electrification of Homes.
10 CPD POINTS
Updates to the market, challenges, successes of what the Plumbing Industry is experiencing; and how it’s contributing to the electrification of homes.

Ashleigh Dalmau, Chief Executive Officer, Master Plumbers Association

Brendan Gould, Executive Manager - Training Services, Master Plumbers Association

11:30am – 12:30pm

EV bi-directional charging updates
10 CPD POINTS

This course equips participants with the knowledge to understand the current electric vehicle (EV) market and its implications for installers. It covers the state of EV and EV charging markets, the role of bidirectional chargers, and key considerations such as interoperability, cybersecurity, and system compatibility. Participants will also explore common challenges and future developments, enabling them to engage with the EV sector in a compliant, informed, and future-ready way.

Michael Shaughnessy, Energy Advisor, Electric Vehicle Council (EVC)

Sponsored by:

Hosted by:

11:00am – 11:45am

Solar for Apartments: Opportunities, Challenges, and What’s Next
Be part of the conversation on the nation-leading Solar for Apartments program. Hear key insights from our panel on what’s worked well, what hasn’t and the challenges of delivering solar to multi-unit dwellings.

Guy Pritchard, Director of Programs, Solar Victoria

Toni Shiels, Program Manager, Solar for Apartments, Solar Victoria

William Anstee, Housing Partnerships Manager, Allume

Jono Burke, Managing Director, JUSASO Group

Hosted by:

12:00pm – 12:45pm

Workforce and skills development opportunities in the energy transition
The scale and pace of change in the energy transition is creating significant opportunities for job creation and workforce development. Join experts from the Victorian Government to explore how the sector can work together in developing and building the skilled, diverse, and job-ready workforce that will power Victoria’s energy future
Vanya Kumar, Executive Director, Innovation, Commercial and Investment Attraction – Energy, Victorian Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action

Craig Robertson, CEO, Victorian Skills Authority

Lisa Price, Executive Officer, Baw Baw Latrobe Local Learning and Employment Network (LLEN)

Dr Chris Briggs, Associate Professor, Program Lead – Energy Futures, Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney

Hosted by:

Developments in solar storage

Sponsor Welcome:
Pedro Magalhaes, General Manager, Arctech

Chair:
Russell French, Country Director, Ampt

Enabling new opportunities and addressing complex challenges through the development and application of advanced photovoltaic module technologies
Thomas Bywater, Country Director, Aiko Solar

Reevaluating wind and hail mitigation strategies for maximised energy yield in utility-scale solar
Evan Nichols, Director, Technical Sales, ARRAY

Beyond modules: Integrated solar and BESS system solutions
Thomas Koerner, Corporate Sr. Vice President, Global Sales, MSS Business Unit Canadian Solar Inc (Canada)

Panel discussion

Prolonging performance and preventing waste: How best-practice maintenance can delay the next big solar crisis
Andrew Barrington, Managing Director, Solar Shine Australia

The power of vertical integration: Strengthening energy security through transparent, end-to-end storage
Karolina Biernacka, AUS/NZ Sales Manager; UTILITY BESS, Trina Solar

The race to the bottom: Why cheaper operations and maintenance is costing us more
Roshan Dharmasena, Managing Director, Photon Renewable Services Pty Ltd

BESS risk management: Development; distributed energy storage
Mark Twidell, Professor of Industry Practice, UNSW

Sponsored by:

REZs and grid connection: Achieving the optimal generation mix to meet Australia’s energy needs
Chair: James Eastcott, Senior Policy Officer - REZ & Network Development, Clean Energy Council

Keynote: Deepak Sharma, Director – Engineering, VicGrid

Panellists:

Stephanie McDougall, Head of Policy and Regulation, Tilt Renewables

Kasia Kulbacka, General Manager Network Planning

Shira Samocha, Senior Manager, Modelling, ASL

Renata Rodrigues, Executive Manager - Growth Services, Iberdrola Australia

Hosted by:

Demand management for distributed energy resources
Chair: Kate Barnes, Executive Director, Customer Experience, Digital & Delivery, Solar Victoria

Powering growth with purpose: SEC plans to decarbonise Victorian homes and businesses
Chris Miller, CEO, SEC

Working with industry to deliver for Victorians: A window into what’s next
Paul Corkill, Executive Director, Programs, Industry and Policy, Solar Victoria / Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA)

Evolving landscape and the future of market demand response
Paul Moore, Managing Director, VIOTAS Australia

System level benefits of distributed energy resources
Johanna Bowyer, Lead Electricity Analyst, Ieefa

Panel discussion

A successful energy transition requires a fit for purpose consumer energy market including affordability and protections; enabling self-determination in the energy transition; and supporting community participation in energy, what does this mean for DER?
Lyn Bowring, Executive Director, Department of Energy, Environment & Climate Action (DEECA)

Creating equitable outcomes with DER: It’s not just for retired engineers!
Jess Padman, Director of Energy Products, NRN - National Renewable Network

Integrating solar, storage and distributed energy resources (DER) from the city streets to the farm
Jason Downes, Project Origination, Enervest

Not just for emergencies: Flexible demand solutions in a renewable grid
Alister Alford, Head of Market Development and Regulatory Affairs, Enel X

DER: Flexible market structures: Ready to enable 100% renewables
Yogendra Vashishtha, Head of Future Networks, EA Technology

1:40pm – 3:00pm

Startup Focus: Battery innovation & the Australian lithium opportunity
Australia has a once-in-a-generation chance to capture economic value across the lithium battery value chain. This session dives into the opportunity, highlights the Supercharge Australia initiative, and features pioneering battery startups leading the way.

Keynote:
Kirk McDonald, Project Manager - Supercharge Australia, New Energy Nexus

Panel
Chair: Dr Adam Best, Principal Research Scientist, CSIRO

Panellists:
Christiaan Jordaan, Founder and CEO, Sicona Battery Technologies Pty Ltd

Amir Taheri, CEO and Co-Founder, Voltavate

Laura Whelan, Founder, Project Midas

Dominic Spooner, Founder & CEO, Vaulta

Jeff Renaud, CEO, Relectrify

Hosted by:

Mapping grassroots community engagement
Chair: Gabriel Wong, Co-Founder, Positive Good

Fireside chat: Engagement for the first Victorian Transmission Plan 2025
Monique Halliday, Lead, Victorian Transmission Investment Framework (VTIF) Engagement, Vicgrid

Transforming resistance into opportunity: Leading change
Laura Harkins-Small, Social Practice Lead, Mott Macdonald

Social license is not a one-way benefit model - reframing engagement with indigenous communities in the energy sector
Vonda Malone, Director Partnerships & Strategy, Indigenous Energy Australia

Sources of outrage in energy projects and how to reduce community unrest
Margaret Harvie, Director, PlanCom Consulting

Reimagining community engagement through immersive technologies and AI-supported tools
Dr Joel Fredericks, Senior Lecturer in Design, University of Sydney, School of Architecture, Design and Planning; Consultant, Urban Planning and Community Engagement

Clarifying the regulation landscape
Chair: Ben Wright, Director, Risk Assurance and Standards, Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) - Solar Victoria

The essential role of energy monitoring for ESG compliance and trust
Jaime Robles, Country Manager, Smappee

Regulatory synergy in the clean energy transition: Navigating risk and compliance in the solar and renewables industry
Ben Wright, Director, Risk Assurance and Standards, Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) - Solar Victoria

Changing renewable assessment in Queensland
Sophie Lam, Director - Town Planner, Urbis

Co-presenter:
Anna Mitchell, Director, Urbis

Harmonic assessment and compliance to NEM generator performance standards
Craig Aumulle, Grid Connection Manage, TrinaSolar

Sustainability reporting standards: Creating value from compliance
Lisa Zembrodt, Principal and Senior Director, Schneider Electric

IEA PV power systems program (PVPS) and Australian participation

Chair: Renate Egan, Centre Director, Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics

Integrating high PV penetrations into power systems
Iain Macgill, Professor of Energy Systems, University of New South Wales (UNSW)

Building Integrated PV
Rebecca Yang, Professor, Department of Infrastructure Engineering, University of Melbourne

Solar panel end-of-llfe management in Australia
Rong Deng, Lecturer, School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering, University of New South Wales (UNSW)

Hosted by:

Harnessing household energy loads
Chair: Rob McLeod, Senior Policy Advisor, Energy Efficiency Council

Consumers: The untapped player in Australia’s energy transition
Matthew van der Linden, CEO, Flow Power

VPPs: Why uptake is low and how we can change perceptions
John Barton, Chief Technology Officer, Amber Electric

Regulatory reforms to leverage consumer energy resources
Aylin Cunsolo, Partner, Ashurst

Hosted by:

1:00pm – 1:30pm

LUNCH BREAK

1:30pm – 2:00pm

EV Chargers: The gateway to a smarter grid
Joris Laponder, Chief Commercial Officer, Zaptec (Norway)

Sponsored by:

Hosted by:

POLICIES AND SCHEMES SUPPORTING ENERGY MANAGEMENT

Chair:
Amelia Jarrett, Policy Advisor, Energy Efficiency Council

1:00pm – 1:20pm

Utilising Energy Certificate Programs for Decarbonising Manufacturing
Aaron Jenkins, CEO, EcoVantage

1:20pm – 1:40pm

Victorian Energy Upgrades – how accredited providers can electrify commercial and industrial businesses
Tricia Lorenzo, Manager Industry Development - Victorian Energy Upgrades, Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) - Solar Victoria

Jack Brown, Manager Energy Efficiency Technologies, Solar Victoria

1:40pm – 2:00pm

Crash, Boom, Slash, Revive – What’s Next for VEECs, ESCs and STCs in 2026
Nicklas Lindewald, General Manager, 4Eva Energy

Hosted by:

1:30pm – 2:30pm

Fault finding and maintenance of PV and battery systems
10 CPD POINTS

This course equips participants with the skills to diagnose, troubleshoot, and maintain grid-connected PV systems, including battery storage. It also covers fault-finding and testing procedures in line with Australian Standards, ensuring safe and efficient PV system operation.

Cody Hancock, Training Technical Lead, Global Sustainable Energy Solutions (GSES)

Sponsored by:

Hosted by:

1:00pm - 1:45pm

Delivering workforce training for the solar and electrification industries
Learn about how the Victorian Government is supporting the solar and electrification industries to build skills and grow capabilities to meet Victoria’s electrification needs. Hear from our experts as they discuss achievements to date and what is planned for the workforce of the future.

Sue Sizer, Head of Industry Education and Guidance, Energy Safe Victoria

Elizabeth Jansz, Dean, Building Construction, Design and Electrotechnology, Holmesglen Institute

Luke Pickles, Manager, Training and Workforce Development, Solar Victoria

Craig Halliday, Compliance and Training Innovation Manager, PICAC

Hosted by:

Next step to grid-scale storage
Chair: Ashok Krishnan, Manager, Market Development, Sumitomo

Boosting wind value with DC-coupled BESS
Li Zi, Deputy General Manager, Energy Storage, Goldwind

Energy at the edge: Transitioning the world’s most isolated large grid
Jai Thomas, Australian Coordinator of Energy, Energy Policy WA and Deputy Director General, Department of Energy and Economic Diversification

Superhybrid™, LDES, and green fuels: Building bankable 24/7 infrastructure
Rick McElhinney, Chief Executive Officer, Sunshine Hydro

Distribution-connected storage – approaches, challenges and opportunities
Dan Sunderland, Executive Director, Strategy, Rennie Advisory

Panel Discussion: Smarter grid stability: a data-first approach for net zero faster
Moderator:
Andrea Powley, Executive Director APAC, Reactive Technologies

Panellists:
Michael Gatt, Chief Operating Officer AEMO Operations

Professor Pierluigi Mancarella, Chair of Electrical Power Systems, The University of Melbourne and Smart Energy Systems, The University of Manchester

Duncan Burt, Chief Strategic Growth Officer, Reactive Technologies, ex Chief Sustainability Officer National Grid UK

Sponsored by:

The future of home energy storage: Unlocking opportunities and overcoming challenges
Chair: Con, Hristodoulidis, General Manager - Distributed Energy, Clean Energy Council

Creating Energy Masters: Helping households join the transition on their terms
Michaela Reilly, Energy Transition Project Manager, SA Power Networks

Co-presenter:
Matthew Dewhirst, Manager, Projects, Department for Energy and Mining

Why are consumers choosing self-consumption over grid-interaction?
James Sturch, Technical Director, International Markets, SolarEdge Technologies

Understanding barriers and motivations for home energy storage adoption, and the level of engagement consumers seek
Elham Hajhashemi, Manager -Analysis and Advocacy, Energy Consumers Australia

Hosted by:

Green hydrogen in the clean energy mix
Chair: Leigh Kennedy, General Manager, Industry & Supply Chain Development, Australian Hydrogen Council

Hydrogen in 2025: A turning point for Australia’s latest projects, domestic pipeline projects, regional demand, and hydrogen derivatives
Nigel Rambhujun, Hydrogen Analyst, Rystad Energy

Tasmania to lead Australia in green hydrogen production and use
Geoffrey Drucker, Managing Director, Countrywide Hydrogen

Volgren hydrogen and zero emission buses for transport
Arnaldo Sanchez, Zero Emission Buses Specialist, Volgren Australia

In partnership with :

3:30pm – 4:50pm

Breakthrough collaboration: Industry-ready startups & pitch event
The clean energy transition won’t be achieved by industry or startups alone - it depends on powerful partnerships that turn fresh ideas into real-world impact. This session brings together industry leaders and entrepreneurs to explore how collaboration sparks innovation and delivers commercial outcomes.
The panel will be followed by a pitch event featuring startups ready to pilot and scale with industry partners.

Panel:
Chair:
Megan Fisher, CEO & Director, EnergyLab

Panellists:
Melanie Sibraa, Manager Transformation Programs, Endeavour Energy

Christine Brennan, Innovation Manager, Powerlink

Alan Hunter, Chief Executive Officer and Founder, NRN

Marija Petkovic, Founder and Managing Director, Energy Synapse

Chris Thompson, Co-CEO, Amber Electric

Industry-ready pitches
Fraser Hughson, Co-Founder and CTO, Allegro Energy

Adrian Falvey, Chief Technology Officer, Reswitch

Sarah Siayap, Strategy and Operations Specialist, Neara

Aishwarya Kansakar, Co-Founder, Syncrowin

4:45pm – 5:45PM
Innovation Networking Drinks

Hosted by:

Trajectory for bio-fuel
Chair: Pauline Kennedy, Low Carbon Policy & Advocacy Manager, bp

Renewable powered green methanol in Western Australia
Greg Allen, Director Project Development and Deal Origination, Vestas

Fuelling the future: Empowering Australia's energy security and economic growth through low carbon fuel
Stephen Forshaw, Chief Representative, Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific, Airbus

Powering a low carbon liquid fuel industry in Australia: Lessons from commercial refining
James Williamson, General Manager, ANZ, Neste

The triple advantage of low carbon liquid fuels LCLF: delivering for the economy, fuel security and net zero
Pauline Kennedy, Low Carbon Policy & Advocacy Manager, bp

Hosted by:

Roadmap to decarbonisation
Chair: Jonathan Jutsen, CEO, Jutsen Innovation

Electrify with purpose: Data-driven, profitable, and scalable decarbonisation
Roy Ghandi, Principal Consultant, Schneider Electric

Decarbonising off-grid networks: The challenge for Alpine Resorts
Maurice Oldham, Director, Mott MacDonald

Port and ship decarbonisation
Brent Perry, CEO, NetZero

Decarbonising construction: What is happening on the ground
Jessamine Welsh, Sustainability Manager, Spark NEL

Decarbonisation of regional passenger rail in Victoria
Andreas Rey, Head of Sustainability, V/Line Corporation

The great debate: Can we electrify everything?
Dr Peter Benyon, Australian Power Market Leader, GHD

What we need to do to rapidly electrify industry to meet carbon emission targets
Jonathan Jutsen, CEO, Jutsen Innovation

Electrification across households
Chair: Marco Salinas, Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Hubble

Homes of the future are here and they're all electric: Guide to Victoria’s package of incentives and regulations supporting electrification
Stan Krpan, Chief Executive Officer, Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) - Solar Victoria

Empowering communities: Innovative strategies for private-local government partnerships in household energy efficiency
Marco Salinas, Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Hubble

From the coalface: Delivering electrification at scale
Jade Channell, Head of Customer and Partnerships, Formbay Pty Ltd

Insights and opportunities for Accredited Providers in an evolving electrification program
Tricia Lorenzo, Manager Industry Development - Victorian Energy Upgrades, Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) - Solar Victoria

Consumer choices in an electrified world
Sam Bendat, CEO, Solving Zero

Electri-Fair-Cation: Enabling equitable electrification in brownfield communities
Ana Erceg, Manager, Grid Evolution, AusNet

Electrification: Electrify Now is pioneering the way customers can engage and start their journey
Belinda O'Connor, Product Lead, Demand Creation, AGL

Sponsored by:

Decarbonising business with electrification and load management
Chair: Sage Michaels, Head of Strategy and Partnerships, Energy Efficiency Council

Unlocking lower cost, resilient renewable energy access: How the SEC is collaborating to bring demand response benefits to the Victorian water industry
Rebecca Tilbrook, Energy Solutions Leader, SEC

Energy flexibility: Getting the balance right
Glenn Schultz, Strategic Partners Lead, Origin Energy

Refrigeration at scale: Unlocking flexible demand through virtual power plants
Andrew Sutherland, Head of Refrigeration Demand Response, Enel X

Demand response from commercial and industrial customers: Enabling technologies and strategies to overcome barriers
Dr Lasantha Meegahapola, Associate Professor, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, RMIT

Hosted by:

PUBLIC CHARGING

Chair:
Mark Stephens, EV Data Analyst, Electric Vehicle Council

2:00pm – 2:20pm

How to build a scalable EV charging business
Tim Washington, Chief Executive Officer, JET Charge

COMMERCIAL
MODELS

2:30pm – 3:00pm

Commercialising charging infrastructure: Lessons learnt
Anna Sawyer, Director Skotte Group

Eamon McGinn, Executive Director, Rennie Advisory

EV TECHNOLOGY
DATA AND
INTEGRATION

Chair:
Alina Dini, Head of Energy and Infrastructure, Electric Vehicle Council

3:00pm – 4:00pm

Panel Discussion EV charging: where to next?
Moderator:
Alina Dini, Head of Energy and Infrastructure, Electric Vehicle Council

Panellists:

Kerbside EV charging
Ross De Rango, Director, Vehicle Charging Solutions Australia

EV charging: winning strategies for the next two years
Robert Asselman, Head of Marketing, Chargefox

Evaluating demand for EV charging in Australia with Orkestra & ARENA
Chris Cooper, Co-Founder and Co-CEO, Orkestra

On-Pole charging & data usage
David Anstee, Director, Withywindle

4:00pm – 4:30pm

Reliable, data-driven, driver-friendly: The future of charging
Stephanie Lai, Business Development Manager, Kempower (Malaysia)

Sponsored by:

Hosted by:

2:20pm – 2:40pm

Check your demand side - the greatest industrial decarbonisation opportunity Australia is missing
Jarrod Leak, CEO, Australian Alliance for Energy Productivity

2:40pm – 3:00pm

Time for action – how to meet decarbonisation targets
Jonathan Pooch, Managing Director, DETA

3:00pm – 3:20pm

Pump Fiction? What Really Happens When You Ditch the Gas
Dr. Kendra Wasiluk, Program Director, Net Zero and Sustainability, Monash University

Joseph Gregorio, Net Zero Engineer, Monash University

Walter van der Linde, Associate Director, 2PiR Consulting

Hosted by:

2:45pm – 3:30pm

Flexible demand and solar-soaking potential of hot water systems
10 CPD POINTS

Presentation will focus on two real-world trials including 20,000 households (RACE for 2030 SolarShift and ARENA PlusES South Australia Flexible Demand trial) focusing on flexible demand and solar-soaking potential of electric water heating systems (resistive and heat-pumps).
The presentation will also show the network impact of hot water orchestration, thermal modelling and emissions findings for different water heating technologies as well as demonstrate a new online facing tool to empower customers when making decisions about their water heating systems.

Dr Baran Yildiz, Senior Lecturer, UNSW

3:45pm – 4:15pm

Mental Health with TradeMutt and TIACS – Conversation Starter
Zero CPD POINTS

This course introduces participants to the importance of mental health awareness in trades through an honest and engaging conversation with the founders of TradeMutt and TIACS. It encourages open dialogue, breaks down stigma, and equips attendees with practical ways to support themselves and their peers by becoming mental health conversation starters.

Dan Allen & Ed Ross, Co-Founders of TradeMutt and TIACS

Sponsored by:

Hosted by:

2:00pm - 2:45pm

Transmission opportunities in Victoria: building confidence and commercial certainty – VicGrid panel
VicGrid's Executive Director, Delivery, Danny Benjamin, will begin the session by addressing two critical imperatives: VicGrid's shift from strategy to action in delivering its multi-billion dollar transmission pipeline and the urgent need for industry ramp-up and coordination.

A subsequent panel of senior leaders, representing constructors, energy consumers and the project delivery space, will offer expert perspectives on the sector’s key challenges. They will drill down into core commercial issues such as achieving fair risk allocation for contractors and developing strategic initiatives to scale up capacity across the supply chain, workforce and skills development.

Danny Benjamin, Executive Director, Project Delivery, VicGrid

Stephanie McGregor, Chief Executive Officer, Marinus Link

Jon Davies, Chief Executive Officer, Australian Constructors Association

Andrew Richards, CEO, Energy Users Association of Australia

Amanda Correy, Director, Engagement, VicGrid

Hosted by:

3:00pm – 3:45pm

The commercial and industrial opportunities available through the Victorian Energy Upgrades program
Learn about how the Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) program can support commercial and industrial sites to decarbonise their operations and importantly - how they can access incentives to support upgrades.
Jack Brown, Manager, Energy Efficiency Technologies, Solar Victoria

Phil Woodward, Engineering Manager, Northmore Gordon

Chris Iape, Senior Policy Officer, Solar Victoria

Mark Ferguson, Technical Lead, Project-Based Activities Essential Services Commission

Laura Grubb, Group Sustainability Manager, HW Greenham & Sons Pty Ltd

Hosted by:

BESS and grid stability
Chair: Lotte Hoekstra, Sector Director – Generation & Storage, ANZ AECOM

Mapping the future of energy storage
Kerim Mekki, Renewable Energy + Storage Director, ANZ, AECOM

The brains behind the batteries: Smarter control for smarter grids
Scott Blalock, General Manager for Global Integrated Applications Engineering, Wärtsilä

Unlocking the next phase of grid stability
John Alexander, Managing Director - Large Scale Solutions, SMA Australia

AIDC Where Energy Meets Intelligence
Jay Che, Director of Application Engineering ANZ, HiTHIUM Australia

Balancing resilience and economics: The evolving role of battery storage
Kevin Zhang, Director of Solution Engineering and Customer Success (APAC), Leoch Battery Australia Pty Ltd

Design considerations of energy management systems
Tirthankar Banerjee, Director, Oztron Energy

Beyond the grid’s edge: Long-duration storage for mini-grids and remote resilience
Jon Norman, President, Hydrostor (Canada)

Sponsored by:

Winds of change: Offshore wind powering Australian grids of the future
Chair: Morgan Rossiter, General Manager - Offshore Wind, Clean Energy Council

Progress update on the development of Victoria’s offshore wind energy industry
Anh Mai, Executive Director, Offshore Wind Energy Victoria (OWEV), DEECA

Planning the transmission for offshore wind - actively involving local communities, stakeholders, and First Peoples
Vanessa Osborn, Director, Land, Planning and Environment, Vicgrid

Building an offshore wind industry in Australia
Billy Mullin, Offshore Wind Specialist, Aurecon

Environmental and social due diligence of offshore wind projects, lessons learned and the application of these to the Australian market
Nicholas Corne, Partner, ERM

Offshore Wind Tender - Experiences in Denmark
Jakob Louise Pederson, Chief Advisor, Danish Energy Agency

Hosted by:

Ensuring network security & reliability
Chair: Mitch O’Neill, Executive Director, CAPA Intelligence

Blackout in Europe: Post-mortem analysis and experiences relevant for the NEM
Enrique Garralaga Rojas, Managing Director, SMA Altenso (Germany)

Smoothing the internet of things (IoT) energy transition with AI at the grid edge
Michael Jary, Managing Director, APAC & EMEA, Sense

Inside the nerve centre: Operating Australia’s evolving grid in real-time
Robbie Aherne, System Resilience, Transgrid

Cybersecurity and resilience for distributed energy fleets
Phil Blythe, Executive Director, CAPA Intelligence

Human-centred visualisation for control rooms of the future
Sarah Goodwin, Senior Lecturer, Monash University

Panel Discussion

Beyond existing essential system services: the emerging applications of grid-forming technology in the NEM
Megan Jackson, Head of Sales Engineering (APAC), Tesla

Regulatory frameworks and market integration for assets under non-firm grid connection
Rabindra Nath Shaw, Grid Connection Manager, Baywa r.w.

Streamlining the design and installation of microgrids
Michael Murray, Director - Microgrid Solution, Generac

Consumers: The unsung heroes of the energy transition
Chair: Jess Christiansen, Senior Partnerships Manager, SEC

Why the SEC is putting consumers at the heart of home electrification
Sumone Chakravarti, Executive General Manager, Consumer and Innovation, SEC

What’s at stake if we can’t connect with consumers?
Ruchika Deora, Head of Product, SEC

Fireside Chat: Rewiring the way we think about consumers in the transition
Jess Christiansen, Senior Partnerships Manager, SEC

Yolande Strengers, Professor of Digital Technology and Society, Emerging Technologies Research Lab, Monash University

Merrily Hunter, CEO, MAC Trade Services

11:00am – 12:20pm

Startup Focus: Innovation Driving Industrial Decarbonisation

Startups pioneering technologies to decarbonise industry share their progress, reflect on sector challenges, and explore what’s needed to scale their impact.

Keynote: Chris Lee, CEO, Climate-KIC Australia

Panel
Chair: Chris Lee, CEO, Climate-KIC Australia

Panellists:
Tia Collings, CEO and Co-Founder, Enaxiom

Mark Croudace, CEO, MGA Thermal

Nathan Steggel, Executive Director, Aratherm

Christina Houlihan, CEO & Co-founder, Bspkl

Hosted by:

Commercial drivers for the NEM
Chair:Jake Dunstan, Co-Head of Advisory, Australia, Aurora Energy Research

Adjusting consumer tariffs: Customer behaviour changes along the solar journey to energy independence
Emily Rubin, Chief Marketing Officer, Amber Electric

Replacing thermal generation: The role of large-scale batteries in the NEM
Josef Tadich, Regional Director – Energy APAC, Tesla

Dispatch, trading and bidding: Is that what a control room does?
Ellise Janetzki, Operations Manager, Overwatch Energy

An overview of the NEM: Opportunities and challenges
David Dixon, Vice President, Renewables & Power Markets Research, Rystad Energy

Panel discussion

Bidding & trading BESS: lessons learned, emerging trends, & measuring performance
Matt Grover, Director, Energy Markets APAC, Fluence

Impact of network outages on market volatility
Nadali Mahmoudi, Director- Electricity Market & Network Modelling, EPEC Group

Developments in REZ planning

Brief Welcome:
Lauren Jesberg, Director Strategy and Business Development, ConnellGriffin

Chair: Tanya Denning, Partner, K&L Gates

Victoria’s new energy zones explained
Adele McCarthy, Executive Director, Strategy and Planning, Vicgrid

A quilt work of REZs - Stitching it all together
Harshal Patel, Director - Renewable Energy, Beca

Lessons from the first Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) in Australia
Michael Diggle, Technical Director, Energy, Aurecon

REZ, DNA and DCA: Navigating the legal frameworks and issues
Tanya Denning, Partner, K&L Gates

Sponsored by:

DER demand management
Chair: Richard McIndoe, Chairman, Edge Zero

From blind spots to insights: Real-time LV monitoring for the DER era
Richard McIndoe, Chairman, Edge Zero

How energy matching Is unlocking consumer access to renewables and accelerating the clean energy transformation
Steve Hoy, Co-founder and CEO, Enosi Energy

Impact of network DER Integration - a real-world challenge
Ajay Biswas, Associate Vice President, HCL Australia Services Pty Ltd

Panel discussion

DER in large- scale master-planned communities: Network benefits
Jey Shivakumar, Principal Engineer - Energy Transformation Services, Cossill & Webley Pty Ltd

A framework for assessing DER management maturity
Chris Green, Solution Architect, Itron

Building the plane as we fly it: Our experience in running an industry co-design process to develop a high-level design for AEMO’s CER Data Exchange
Ed Chan, Head of Energy Advisory, Australia, Mott Macdonald Australia

Applying AI in the CER sector
James Sturch, Technical Director, International Markets, SolarEdge Technologies

Community batteries: Industry insights on development and operation of distribution BESS
Parvathy Sivadas, Senior DER Engineer, AGL

Digitalisation and AI in the energy sector – the future of jobs in energy
As the energy sector rapidly evolves under the influence of AI, automation, and digital transformation, this panel session explores how emerging technologies are reshaping energy jobs.

Chair: Steven Hall, General Manager of VET and Technical Training, Powering Skills Organisation

Panellists:
Simon English, Network Technology Manager, Powercor

Tim Burt, Director, Strategy & Planning, Future Skills Organisation

Saf Flatters, Emerging Data Scientist

Anthea Middleton, CEO, Powering Skills Organisation

Hosted by:

CHARGING AT HOME AND BUSINESSES

Chair:
Umair Afzal, Programs and Technical Standards Officer, Electric Vehicle Council

10:00am – 10:30am

From UK to AU: Home electrification, why it matters, and what can be learnt from the UK (the good and the bad)
Shahram Shadan, Managing Director, myenergi APAC

Co-presenter:
Lee Sutton, Co-Founder and Chief Innovation Officer, myenergi

10:30am– 11:00am

Emerging Opportunities in Vehicle to Grid
Kouki Xiang, CEO, Starcharge Energy APAC

Tim Barson, Strategic Partnerships, Amber Electric

Harry Li, Product Engineering Manager, BYD Automotive

11:00am – 11:30am

COFFEE BREAK

BUILDINGS

11:30am – 12:00pm

Power distribution challenges and solutions in commercial and multi residential buildings
Peter Jessup, National E-mobility Business Development Manager, Schneider Electric

Sponsored by:

Hosted by:

11:10am – 11:30am

Heat pumps for commercial sector – case study
Chun Goh, General Manager, Energy Smart Water

11:30am – 11:50am

Future-Ready Real Estate: Supporting Customers' Transition to Net Zero
Heather Bolt, ESG Property Sector Lead, Westpac

11:50am – 12:10pm

Learnings from 20+ electrification studies in industry
Craig Morgan, Group Sales Director and Co-Founder, Northmore Gordon

Hosted by:

11:00 am – 11:45 am

NETCC compliance learnings for new energy tech installations
10 CPD POINTS

This presentation explores real compliance cases to help NETCC signatories understand common breaches, their consequences, and how to prevent them. It highlights key lessons in quoting, contracting, finance disclosure, and customer communication, while reinforcing accountability for agents and contractors.
Through case studies and practical examples, participants learn how to strengthen governance, build consumer trust, and maintain eligibility for key market programs by embedding continuous improvement in their compliance practices.

Dr Penelope Crossley, Chair – Code Monitoring and Compliance Panel, New Energy Tech Consumer Code (NETCC)

Sponsored by:

Hosted by:

10:30am – 12:30pm

Panel discussion: Reshaping how we think about community benefits to maximise community impact
Chair: Margaret Harvie, PlanCom Consulting and Independent Chairperson, New England Renewable Energy Zone

Panellists:
Catherine Russell, Project Engagement Lead, Energy Australia

Dominic Luddy, Community and Stakeholder Engagement Manager, Acciona

Chris Sounness, Chief Executive Officer, Wimmera Southern Mallee Development

Courtney Paulsen, First Nations Engagement Manager, AGL

Madie Sturgess, Clean Tech Specialist, Original Power

Integrating clean energy with the grid
Chair: Natalie Thompson, Senior Analyst, Energy Storage & Solar, Wood Mackenzie

VicGrid's Victorian transmission plan
Adele McCarthy, Executive Director, Strategy and Planning, Vicgrid

Innovating for the future: Leveraging utility-scale technology to transform Australia’s grid
Shane Bannister, Head of Business Development & Sales, Energy APAC, Tesla

Grounded in Australia: Deployable helical pile foundations for BESS, solar, wind & transmission
Brodie Houghton, Managing Director, Solidity Pty Ltd

Crunch time for Western Australia's WEM
Sally Bogle, Vice President - APAC Renewables & Power, Rystad Energy

Navigating grid code diversity: A manufacturer’s perspective on power quality and compliance
Dominique Alonso Sorensen, Grid Connection Manager, Electronicas Arteche Smart Grid (Spain)

Unlocking Australia’s potential: Harnessing renewable energy and BESS for energy security & grid resilience
Elisabeth Balding, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, EDF Australia

Panel discussion:

Matching Australia’s grid with its renewable superpower ambition
Kylie Turner, System Lead - Sustainable Economies, Climateworks Centre

Locally led and place-based: Spotlight on regional leaders driving local change
Chair: Andrew Bray, National Director, RE-Alliance

Panellists:
Chris Sounness, Chief Executive Officer, Wimmera Southern Mallee Development, VIC

Veronica Terry, Program Manager, Regional Development, Cradle Coast Authority, TAS

Emily Sims, Strategic Planner, Uralla Shire Council, NSW

Andrew Pomeroy, General Manager Development Wellington Shire Council VIC

Hosted by:

Pathway to green hydrogen
Chair: Leigh Kennedy, General Manager, Industry & Supply Chain Development, Australian Hydrogen Council

From concept to reality: A year of operational insights from Endua's Hydrogen Power Bank at Archerfield Airport
Ben Mcgruer, Head of Engineering, Endua

Next-gen green hydrogen production: High-efficiency advanced electrode technology without precious metals
Dr Saeid Masudy Panah, Co-Founder and CTO, SunGreenH2

Producing green hydrogen while treating wastewater
Emma Clark, CEO, WATR-H2

Grid connection of large-scale hydrogen electrolysis plants
Mehdi Ghazavi Dozein, Lecturer, Monash University

In partnership with :

Innovations in demand management
Chair: James Seymour, Director, Apten Advisory (ex-CEO C4NET)

Transition to active distribution network planning and operation - the key to a lower cost transition
James Seymour, Director, Apten Advisory (ex-CEO C4NET)

Maximising the value of demand flexibility - innovative network approaches
Candice Hincksman, Manager Demand and Energy Management, Energy Queensland

Demand-side solutions are the key to lower energy bills and system costs
Jay Gordon, Energy Finance Analyst, Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis

The age of complexity: Prosumers and the new rules of grid engagement
Jesse Warburg, Director of Product, Commercial & Industrial, Kaluza

Panel discussion

Household demand flexibility and Energy Masters, the story so far…
Peter Pudney, Professor, University of South Australia

Household energy use and impact
Rob Passey, Senior Research Fellow, UNSW

Network management insights
Candice Hincksman, Manager Demand and Energy Management, Energy Queensland

A positive climate podcast live with Relectrify: Taking Australian battery tech global
A Positive Climate Live: join us for a live recording of the A Positive Climate podcast featuring one of Australia's leading energy startups - Relectrify.
Nick Zeltzer, Managing Partner, Positive Ventures - Host of A Positive Climate Podcast & Guest: Jeff Renaud, CEO, Relectrify

Hosted by:

Investing in grid-scale storage
Chair: Lane Crockett, Executive General Manager Assets, SEC

Grid-scale batteries: the backbone of a resilient, flexible, and digital-ready energy system
James Hunt, General Manager of Energy Services and Investment, Lumea

Comparison of sodium-Ion and semi-solid batteries for micro-grid BESS applications
Jeremy Whaley, CTO - Energy Storage, CD Power

Revolutionising embedded networks: Exploring the impact of community batteries and MondoGrid
Andrea Hill, Energy Solutions Lead, Mondo

Navigating noise compliance: Setting up BESS projects for success
Tim Ryan, Associate Director - Acoustics Energy Lead, WSP Australia Pty Ltd

Solar energy to provide heating and lighting for buildings and industry
Chair: Ken Guthrie, Director, Sustainable Energy Transformation Pty Ltd

Solar hot water: An overlooked key to unlocking a sustainable energy future
Robert Taylor, Professor, School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of New South Wales

Advancing low-carbon lighting solutions: IEA SHC task 70 and opportunities for Australia
Veronica Garcia Hansen, Associate Professor in the School of Architecture and Built Environment, Queensland University of Technology

Unlocking rooftop potential? Why PV thermal is the missing link for Australian solar installers
Doug Smith, CEO, Coolsheet PVT

Hosted by:

Unlocking bioenergy: Powering Industry and agriculture
Chair: Scott Grierson, Managing Director/CEO, Valorify

Building Australia's bio economy: New industries, energy, and opportunities
Scott Douglas, CEO & Founder, Green Lab Futures

Biogas systems and energy certificate programs; Unlocking value for decarbonising farms
Katie Tebbatt, General Manager, Ecovantage

The missing link in Australia's clean energy future
Scott Grierson, Managing Director/CEO, Valorify

Connecting biomethane supply and demand to decarbonise industry
Moyo Tian, GM Strategy & Regulation, AusNet

Biomethane in motion: From policy friction to market function
Mike Davis, Managing Director, Optimal Renewable Gas

Hosted by:

Transforming talent: Upskilling and retraining for the energy workforce
This panel session will explore the critical role of workforce transition in supporting Australia’s energy transformation.

Chair: Vicki Gottardo, General Manager of Strategy and Delivery, Powering Skills Organisation

Panellists:
Elizabeth Karpiel, Senior Engineer, DNV

Sian Fitzpatrick, Student Engagement Lead, SEC

Ian Crowhurst, Head of Future Capacity & Talent, Origin Energy

Veronica Quinless, Senior Strategic Advisor – Clean Energy, TAFE Gippsland

Maddy Hickman, Clean Energy Project Lead, Original Power

Hosted by:

COMMERCIA
LISATION

12:00pm– 12:30pm

Redesigning building infrastructure to deliver charging solutions: Barangaroo 400 EV rollout
Philip Graham, Chief Executive Officer, Cleanpeak Energy

COMMUNICATIONS
AND
INTEROPERABILITY

12:30pm – 1:00pm

EV Interoperability, Communications and Roaming
Moderator: Alina Dini, Head of Energy and Infrastructure, Electric Vehicle Council

Panellists:
Naomi Wynn, CEO, NEPKI (National Energy Public Key Infrastructure)

Claire Painter, GM Corporate and Regulatory Affairs, JetCHARGE

Elizabeth Yeaman, Managing Director Australia and New Zealand, CharIN

1:00pm –1:30pm

LUNCH BREAK

Sponsored by:

Hosted by:

IMPROVING HOME ENERGY PERFORMANCE

Chair: Rob McLeod, Senior Advisor (Policy and Research) at Energy Efficiency Council

1:00pm – 1:20pm

Understanding Early Failures in HPHWS: Exploring the Role of Voltage
Alan Pears, Senior Industry Fellow, RMIT University

1:20pm – 1:40pm

Hot Water as Flexible Load
Hamish McKenzie, Strategy and Growth Manager, VPP, AGL

1:40pm – 2:00pm

The role of VPPs in the energy transition
Merrily Hunter, CEO, MAC Trade Services

Hosted by:

1:30pm – 2:30 pm

The NSW Consumer Energy Resources Installer Portal & Implementation of the Emergency Backstop Mechanism in NSW
10 CPD POINTS
From mid-2026, all new, upgraded, and replacement rooftop solar systems in NSW must be backstop-enabled. This session will introduce the new Consumer Energy Resources (CER) Installer Portal, developed in collaboration with NSW DNSPs and Energy Networks Australia. The portal will streamline compliance with safety and technical standards, simplify registration processes, and support the rollout of the Emergency Backstop Mechanism across the state.

John De Bruyn, Senior Policy & Project Officer CER Innovation & Grid Integration Team – Community & Home Programs Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

Sponsored by:

Hosted by:

1:00pm - 2:00pm

First Nations Yarn Circle 1 – Listening to Country
• What does First Nations community engagement look like?
• Cultural heritage – tangible and intangible
• Environmental considerations – the relationship between environment and culture

Facilitators:
Dr Peter Radoll, Managing Director, Radoll & Associates

Les Wanganeen, Centacare Aboriginal Cultural Consultant

Troy Pickwick, Co-founder, Good Energy Minds

Dr Chivonne Algeo, Co-founder, Good Energy Minds

Marketplace readiness for virtual power plants
Chair: Chris Thompson, Co-CEO, Amber Electric

VPPs reimagined: Unlocking the true value of home batteries & EVs
Tim Barson, Strategic Partnerships, Amber Electric

How AI-driven virtual power plants are changing the game for residential communities
Carly Irving-Dolan, Executive Director - Energy and Connectivity, Prospecta Utilities

VPP readiness index
Constanza Iribarren, Manager, Sydney Office, Blunomy

VPP learnings from the West
George Martin, Chief Technology Officer, Plico

Virtual power plants: How a single site could make or break your portfolio
Mark Netto, Partner, VPP Partners

Economic models for VPP participation: Behind the meter - energy management
Pawan Verma, Specialist Sales Manager - Renewables (SA), Rexel

Virtual power plants: Orchestrating Australia's distributed energy future
Tomás Eastwood, Senior Technical Support Engineer, AlphaESS Australia

Panel discussion

Power of partnerships to prove and expand VPPs
Leesa Blazley, Project Director, Momentum Energy

Boosting VPP adoption: Crafting customer-centric and compelling value propositions
Nirmit Sharma, Head of Customer Marketing, Synergy (Electricity Generation and Retail Corporation)

Sponsored by:

Pushing boundaries: Navigating market reform for a modern, efficient and secure electricity system
Chair: Veronika Nemes, Acting General Manager - Market Operations & Grid, Clean Energy Council

Gas is a bridge not a destination in the clean energy transition
Stephanie Bashir, Principal, Nexa Advisory

Saying the quiet bit out loud – we need to kill coal to save the energy market
Tristan Edis, Director – Analysis & Advisory, Green Energy Markets

The Future of Ancillary Services: Exploring Centralised and Market-Based Reform
Kaavya Jha, Policy Associate, Energy, Tesla

Mixed Signals: Why renewable policy without coal closures undervalues the market
Ernesto Llamas Loya Gomez, General Manager, Energy Markets Australia, Akaysha Energy

Title TBA
Jonathon Dyson, Managing Director, Greenview Strategic Consulting

Hosted by:

New technologies for clean energy
Chair: Chris Baker, Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, Sunshine Hydro

The use of IoT, AI and machine learning in extracting greater value and productivity from renewable energy assets
Brett Milne, Managing Director and Founder, Karit

Using AI predictive analytics to increase BESS safety
Jasper Seitz-McIntyre, Customer Success Manager, ACCURE Battery Intelligence GmbH (Germany)

Ada in action: How AI intelligence impacts solar adoption
Sophie Wright, General Manager AU & NZ, OpenSolar (Australia)

Optimising every electron: Building a holistic clean energy future
Chris Baker, Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, Sunshine Hydro

Exploring non-DNSP grid-connected town micro grids and the future of resilience for regional communities
Finn Buchhorn, Project Manager, Yarra Energy Foundation

Accelerating the energy transition: Grid-forming technology, market integration, and future-ready solutions
Jimmy Molea, Regional Business Development Director ANZ, Sungrow

Sponsored by:

Future of battery energy storage systems (BESS)
Sponsor Welcome: Karl Smith, Head of Energy, Capella Capital

Chair: Kerim Mekki, Renewable Energy + Storage Director, ANZ, AECOM

Evolving revenue streams for utility-scale batteries
Marija Petkovic, Founder and Managing Director, Energy Synapse

Optimising battery returns despite operational challenges
Sahand Karimi, Chief Executive Officer, OptiGrid

Co-presenter:
Taryn Lane, Manager, Hepburn Energy

What we’ve learned about stability: A global perspective
Aaron Gerdemann, Global Director, Stability Markets, SMA Technology AG (Germany)

FCAS and demand response
Tanya Denning, Partner, K&L Gates

Deploying neighbourhood batteries: Successes, struggles, and solutions
Champi Elwela, Head of New Energy, MONDO

Batteries: Our clean energy tipping point
Renae Gasmier, Head of Innovation & Strategy, AGL

Sponsored by:

Breakthrough tech: Live startup pitchfest

Curious about the next big energy breakthrough? Join us for a fast-paced pitchfest where cutting edge startups showcase the technologies set to transform the industry.

Intro: TBA

Opening:
Breccan McLeod Lundy, CEO, Ackama

Industry-ready pitches
Rob De Burgh-Day, Founder & CEO, Brightspace

James Bandera, Flipped Energy

Laura Whelan, Founder, Project Midas

Shalini Divya, Co-Founder and CEO, TasmanIon

George Tulloch, CTO and Founder, Noizend

Dave Johnson, Head of Australia, Sense AI

Christina Houlihan, CEO & Co-founder, Bspkl

David Doral, Co-Founder and CEO, Dovetail

Michael Wilson, Lithionex

Hosted by:

State of the PPA market 2025: Large energy users & data centres
Chair: Jackie McKeon, Program Director, Business Renewables Centre Australia

State of the PPA market report
Chris Briggs, Technical Director, Business Renewables Centre Australia

Panel Discussion:

Vinit Chitkara, Director APAC Energy, Equinix

Chun Kiu Ng, Principal Consultant, CORE Markets

Aylin Cunsolo, Partner, Ashurst

Daniel Trujillo, PPA Origination & Power Markets, OX2

Andrew Dudgeon, Partnerships Manager, Zen Energy

Jonathan Trevor, Sustainability & Energy Manager, BOC Australia

Developments for grid-scale storage
Chair: Joy Sumner, Co-director Franco- Australian Centre for Energy Transition (FACET), Swinburne University of Technology

Beyond the battery: Social licensing and community partnership in grid-scale storage projects in Aotearoa New Zealand
Lauren Faithfull, Manager – Renewables, McKay Ltd

Carbon capture, utilisation and storage: Possible mitigation to global emissions
Joy Sumner, Co-director Franco-Australian Centre for Energy Transition (FACET), Swinburne University of Technology

Changing the energy planning standard with Solar and BESS
Mark Parker, Executive Director & Founding Director of EPEC, EPEC Group

Data centre sustainability
Chair: Ivan Fernandez, Vice President, Australia & New Zealand, Frost & Sullivan

The Australian data centre maintenance services market: Status and outlook
Ivan Fernandez, Vice President, Australia & New Zealand, Frost & Sullivan

Facilitate seamless grid connection of inverter-based data centres
Abbas Abbasi, Market Solutions Specialist, AusNet

Data centres: Solving the step change in large load electrification
Jacob Kharoufeh, Connections Partnership Development Manager, Ausgrid

Data centre energy efficiency and building a sustainable IT infrastructure
Rozane Bezuidenhout, Director Future Energy Systems, Tata Consulting Services

Industry-led training: Building the workforce through education excellence
Hear practical, employer and industry-driven training models that can be scaled quickly and effectively to build a future-ready workforce.

End of Conference drinks available.

Chair: Anthea Middleton, CEO, Powering Skills Organisation

Panellists:
Tom Emeleus, CEO, NECA Training & Apprenticeships

Shawn O'Sullivan, Executive Director, TAFE Queensland

Ty Theodore, General Manager, Clean Energy Skills National Centre of Excellence

Jo Abbey, Principal, Aurecon

Shane Randall, Senior Partnership Manager, CIT Electric Vehicle Tafe Centre of Excellence

Hosted by:

1:30pm – 2:00pm

Using real driver experiences and first party data to humanise a balanced charging ecosystem
Daniel Tait, Senior Program Manager, JOLT

OUTLOOK FOR HEAVY VEHICLES

Chair:
Cameron Rimington, Senior Policy Officer, Heavy Vehicles, Electric Vehicle Council

2:00pm – 2:30pm

Electric trucks: Unlocking the Opportunity
Tom Connell, Associate Director, Business Development & Transactions, Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA)

2:30pm-3:00pm

MegaWatt Charging System (MCS) roll out in Australia and New Zealand
Elizabeth Yeaman, Managing Director Australia and New Zealand, CharIN

3:00pm – 3:30pm

Panel discussion: Developments in trucking
Robert Kochhan, Senior Professional Leader, National Transport Research

Dave Clements, Group Executive Operations, Transurban

Alexandra Kelly, Zero Emissions Delivery Lead, IKEA

Romesh Rodrigo, Head of Vehicle Homologation, Regulatory Affairs and Future Mobility, Daimler Truck Australia Pacific

3:30pm – 4:00pm

Preparing the grid for the EV surge: Visibility, flexibility, and consumer engagement
Dave Johnson, Head of Australia, Sense

4:00pm – 4:30pm

Data-driven insights into home charging and grid Implications: Case study in Victoria
Hao Wang, Senior Lecturer, Monash University

Sponsored by:

Hosted by:

2:20pm – 2:40pm

Home Energy Upgrades: Paving the way for scalable, community-led energy upgrades across Australia
Rob Raven, Professor of Sustainability Transitions and Deputy Director, Monash Sustainable Development Institute

2:40pm – 3:00pm

The opportunities and challenges for bundled services and one-stop shops
Felicia Richardson, CEO, Enviroflex

3:00pm – 3:20pm

Electrifying Australia’s commercial buildings
Rob McLeod, Senior Advisor, Policy & Research, Energy Efficiency Council

Hosted by:

2:30pm – 3:30pm

Using hot water heaters to optimise PV self-consumption and assist grid stability
10 CPD POINTS

Dean will present the potential of water heaters as domestic thermal batteries, to optimise PV self-consumption and benefit the grid voltage and frequency stability.
Dean will draw on academic publications he has authored, along with the latest research undertaken at RMIT, highlighting practical applications and current regulatory/market limitations.
He will demonstrate it's possible to lower consumer energy costs whilst assisting the grid transformation into 100% renewable energy.

Dr Dean Clift, R&D Manager and Technical Specialist, Rheem Australia

3:45pm – 4:15pm

Installer/
Manufacturer/Industry
roundtable – co-hosted by CEC/Industry reps
Small group discussion giving installers & Manufacturer’s/Industry opportunity to ask questions and answers

James Sturch, Technical Director, International Markets, SolarEdge Technologies

Dr Dean Clift, R&D Manager and Technical Specialist, Rheem Australia

Kenneth Hee, Residential Engineering Manager, Tesla

Allen Zhu, Country Manager, Growatt New Energy (Australia)

Sponsored by:

Hosted by:

2:15pm -3:15pm

First Nations Yarn Circle 2 – First Nations Strategic Engagement

• First Peoples visions and aspirations for clean and renewable energy
• Co-design and benefit sharing
• Investment and corporate governance

Facilitators:
Dr Peter Radoll, Managing Director, Radoll & Associates

Les Wanganeen, Centacare Aboriginal Cultural Consultant

Troy Pickwick, Co-founder, Good Energy Minds

Dr Chivonne Algeo, Co-founder, Good Energy Minds

3:30pm - 4:30pm

First Nations Yarn Circle 3 – Creating New Knowledge

• Cultural competency
• Employment and training best practice principles
• Economic and social benefits

Facilitators:
Dr Peter Radoll, Managing Director, Radoll & Associates

Les Wanganeen, Centacare Aboriginal Cultural Consultant

Troy Pickwick, Co-founder, Good Energy Minds

Dr Chivonne Algeo, Co-founder, Good Energy Minds