First Fuel

In Episode 74 of First Fuel, Energy Efficiency Council CEO Luke Menzel is joined by Brian Motherway, Head of Energy Efficiency at International Energy Agency. Recorded on 4 July 2022 at the International Energy Agency headquarters in Paris, Luke and Brian take stock of the current state of energy efficiency efforts around the globe. They consider the impact of the current global energy crisis, unp...

In Episode 73 of First Fuel, Energy Efficiency Council CEO Luke Menzel is again joined by Francesca Muskovic, Director – National Policy at the Property Council of Australia, and Carlos Flores, Director of the National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS). In this, the second part of a bumper double episode of First Fuel, Luke, Frankie, and Carlos go deep on electrification of build...

In Episode 72 of First Fuel, Energy Efficiency Council CEO Luke Menzel is joined by two guests: Francesca Muskovic, Director – National Policy at the Property Council of Australia, and Carlos Flores, Director of the National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS). This episode was recorded at the conclusion of a week long delegation to Germany on energy efficiency in buildings. Luke,...

In Episode 71 of First Fuel, Energy Efficiency Council CEO Luke Menzel is joined by Dr Nicholas Matten, Managing Director of EEC industry Member Stiebel Eltron. During this episode – recorded at the Stiebel Eltron Energy Campus in Holzminden, Germany – Luke and Nicholas discuss the history of Germany’s heat pump market, the drivers for increasing heat pump demand, and what government and industry...

In Episode 70 of First Fuel, Energy Efficiency Council CEO Luke Menzel is joined by two guests, EEC Head of Projects Holly Taylor and Program Director of the Net Zero Initiative at Monash University, Scott Ferraro. In this episode, Luke, Holly and Scott discuss the launch of the EEC Professional Certifications Framework. They look back on the EEC’s engagement with training and certification over t...

In Episode 69 of First Fuel, Energy Efficiency Council CEO Luke Menzel is joined live and in person at the National Energy Efficiency Conference 2022 by Adrian Joyce, Director of Renovate Europe. Luke and Adrian unpack the goals, approach and achievements of Renovate Europe, a political communications campaign focused on raising the profile of building upgrades in the broader energy transition. Me...

In Episode 68 of First Fuel, Energy Efficiency Council CEO Luke Menzel is joined live at the National Energy Efficiency Conference 2022 with two guests: Francesca Muskovic, National Policy Manager for Sustainability and Regulatory Affairs at the Property Council of Australia, and Tennant Reed, Head of Climate, Energy and Environment Policy at Australian Industry Group. Luke, Frankie and Tennant ch...

In Episode 67 of First Fuel, Energy Efficiency Council CEO Luke Menzel is joined Lynne Gallagher, CEO of Energy Consumers Australia (ECA). Luke and Lynne discuss the importance of centring consumer perspectives in the energy transition, how supporting consumers behind the meter can have big benefits on the supply side, and why ECA has stopped talking about DER. Mentioned in this episode: Death to...

In Episode 66 of First Fuel, Energy Efficiency Council CEO Luke Menzel is joined by Sagarika Subramanian, Senior Research Analyst for the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) to discuss the 2022 International Energy Efficiency Scorecard . Luke and Sagarika discuss the countries that topped this year’s rankings and what set them apart, Australia’s performance across buildings, i...

In Episode 65 of First Fuel, Energy Efficiency Council CEO Luke Menzel is joined by Jorge Chapa, Head of Market Transformation, and Taryn Cornell, Senior Manager, Green Star Strategy & Development from the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA). Luke, Jorge and Taryn discuss the GBCA’s new guide on constructing new all-electric buildings, the challenges associated with electrifying existin...

In Episode 64 of First Fuel, Energy Efficiency Council CEO Luke Menzel is joined by Jarrod Leak, CEO at the Australian Alliance for Energy Productivity (A2EP). Luke and Jarrod discuss A2EP’s new online resource – futureheat.info – which showcases tools, webinars and case studies on the use of heat pumps and thermal batteries to decarbonise process heat in industry. Key topics: - Strategic landscap...

In Episode 63 of First Fuel, Energy Efficiency Council CEO Luke Menzel is joined by Zali Steggall MP, the Federal Member for Warringah and a prominent advocate for climate action. Luke and Zali discuss the importance of proactive effort on climate adaptation, how she would approach negotiations in a hung parliament, and her policies for transitioning buildings and industry to a net zero economy. T...

In Episode 62 of First Fuel, Energy Efficiency Council CEO Luke Menzel is joined by Adam Bandt MP, Leader of The Greens in the Federal Parliament and spokesperson on the Climate Emergency, Energy, Employment and Workplace Relations. Luke and Adam discuss the crucial role of energy efficiency and demand management in the climate transition, moving to an energy system that matches demand and supply,...

In Episode 61 of First Fuel, Energy Efficiency Council CEO Luke Menzel is joined by the Assistant Minister to the Minister for Industry, Energy and Emissions Reduction, Tim Wilson MP. They discuss Tim's postgraduate study in energy and carbon management, how he thinks about climate and energy policy, and how to unlock the energy efficiency opportunities that exist in commercial buildings, homes an...

In Episode 60 of First Fuel, Energy Efficiency Council CEO Luke Menzel is joined by the Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen MP. Luke and Chris discuss the climate and energy policies the Australian Labor Party is taking to this year’s Federal election. This is the first in a series of special episodes with key players from across the political spectrum in the lead up to the...

In Episode 59 of First Fuel, Energy Efficiency Council CEO Luke Menzel is joined by Dr Mary Stewart, CEO of energy and climate advisory firm Energetics and President of the Energy Efficiency Council. Luke and Mary discuss the key take outs from the Conference of Parties in Glasgow, the drivers for the avalanche of net zero commitments from Australian corporates, and the crucial role of energy mana...

In Episode 58 of First Fuel, we bring you a panel discussion from the launch of the fourth edition of the Energy Efficiency Council’s annual energy briefing for Australian businesses, Navigating a dynamic energy landscape . Luke is joined by Wei Sue, System Lead for Sustainable Corporates at ClimateWorks Australia, Sally Townsend, Head of Sustainability at Blackmores Group and Holly Taylor, Head o...

In Episode 57 of First Fuel, Energy Efficiency Council CEO Luke Menzel is joined by Tim Goodson, an Energy Analyst at the International Energy Agency. Luke and Tim discuss the IEA’s Net Zero by 2050 report, the importance of front-loading action on the pathway to net zero, and the role of renewables, electrification, energy efficiency and demand management in the transition. Mentioned in this epis...

In Episode 56 of First Fuel, we bring you a panel discussion from the joint opening plenary of Energy Efficiency Expo and All-Energy Australia, which took place just twelve days before the twenty-sixth Conference of Parties in Glasgow. Energy Efficiency Council CEO Luke Menzel is joined by John Connor, CEO of the Carbon Market Institute, Zoe Whitton, Executive Director at Pollination, Gretta Steph...

In Episode 55 of First Fuel, Energy Efficiency Council CEO Luke Menzel is joined by Mark Lister, Chair of the Efficiency Valuation Organisation, the global body that drives best practice in the measurement and verification of energy savings. In anticipation of the first World M&V Week, Luke and Mark discuss the history of measurement and verification, it’s crucial role in building confidence i...

In Episode 54 of First Fuel, Energy Efficiency Council CEO Luke Menzel is joined by two guests. Jenny Edwards is a Director of Light House Architecture and Science and one of Australia’s leading experts in building envelope testing. John Konstantakopoulos is Managing Director of Efficiency Matrix and a YouTuber specialising in educational videos focused on building performance. Luke, Jenny and Joh...

In Episode 53 of First Fuel, Energy Efficiency Council CEO Luke Menzel is joined by Ruud Kempener from the European Commission's Directorate-General for Energy. Luke and Ruud discuss the European Union’s ambition to cut its emissions by at least 55% by 2030, the Commission’s suite of ambitious new policy proposals known as 'Fit for 55', and the central role of energy efficiency and energy manageme...

In Episode 52 of First Fuel, Energy Efficiency Council CEO Luke Menzel is joined by Alison Reeve, Deputy Program Director of the Energy and Climate Program at Grattan Institute to unpack their new report Towards net zero: Practical policies to reduce industrial emissions . Luke and Alison discuss the distinct challenges of unlocking emissions reductions in small and large facilities, the opportuni...

In Episode 51 of First Fuel, Energy Efficiency Council CEO Luke Menzel is joined by Tennant Reed, Head of Climate, Energy and Environment Policy at Australian Industry Group to discuss their recent paper on the EU’s proposed Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). Luke and Tennant unpack what this and other potential future CBAMs will mean for the Australian economy, and the role a CBAM could p...

In Episode 50 of First Fuel, Efficiency Canada’s Executive Director, Corey Diamond, is joined by Luke Menzel, CEO of the Energy Efficiency Council, Australia’s peak body for energy efficiency, energy management and demand response. Luke and Corey discuss the origins of the Energy Efficiency Council, the challenges facing advocates trying to build an enduring consensus for change, and the areas in...