Energy Unpacked

This week, it's just Adam and Bronte on the mic again reflecting on the conversations, surprises, and big ideas that defined the Grid Scale Projects Miniseries. From vanadium flow batteries to heat batteries built from bricks and toasters, and why the "boring stuff" — roads, water, labour — might actually be the most important stuff of all. If you haven't caught all four guest ep...

Industrial heat is one of the most overlooked challenges in theenergy transition. Around 20% of Australia’s total energy goes to making it, much of it above 1,000°C, and the cheapest path has historically been to burn fossil fuels. In this episode we speak with Kira Rundel, Commercial Director Australia at Rondo Energy, about how Rondo’s heat battery technology is starting to change that. The conv...

In this episode, we chat with Graham Arvidson, CEO of Australian Vanadium Limited, on the case for long-duration energy storage and Australia’s opportunity in vanadium flow batteries. Graham walks us through how flow batteries work, why they’re uniquely suited to long-duration applications, and why their economics flip the equation: every extra hour of duration is just another tank of electrolyte,...

In this episode, we chat with Oxana Dankova, Partner and Director of Energy Networks at BCG, on the global state of transmission and distribution investment. Grid investment is set to double in the next five years globally, with the world's grid footprint more than doubling by 2050. But the build-out isn't straightforward. Oxana walks us through the funding pressures that could push tariffs higher...

Australia’s energy transition depends on more than just solar panels and wind turbines — it depends on thousands of kilometres of high-voltage transmission infrastructure threading through remote landscapes, alpine terrain, and regional communities. But building that infrastructure is far more complex than many people (including us) realise. In this episode we sit down with Renene Windsor, Industr...

Following our Innovation Miniseries, we’re diving into grid-scale projects: the big, complex, critical infrastructure that will make or break Australia’s energy transition. We’re sitting down with guests from Rondo Energy, Aurecon, BCG and VSUN Energy to unpack: - What’s driving transmission project delays and cost overruns - Australia’s REZ landscape — how zones compare in structure, maturity and...

This week, it’s just us—Adam and Bronte—on the mic, reflecting on the common threads, key insights and ideas that have stuck with us from the Innovation Miniseries. If you haven’t caught all the miniseries episodes yet, this is a great place to start—a snapshot of the themes and conversations with brilliant innovators from Plico, Kapture, 5B, and Project Ohm.

In this episode, we sit down again with Brian Innes - this time with his Accenture hat on- to unpack how AI is actually being used in the energy transition—and where it may be overhyped. We explore how machine learning is helping forecast supply and demand, optimise generation, and unlock flexibility in industrial processes to better match renewable energy. Rather than replacing humans, AI is emer...

In this episode of Energy Unpacked we talk with Nicole, Chief Strategy Officer from 5B about the innovative Maverick solar technology, including its advantages in deployment speed and land use efficiency. We also discuss the company's global expansion strategy and learnings, risk management in large projects, and the importance of customer feedback in product development. A particularly great epis...

This week we’re joined by Brian Innes, founder of Plico, an innovator in the VPP space. Brian shares his journey into the energy industry and explains Plico’s unique membership model, designed to address key challenges of owning and operating DER in Australia. We explore the importance of customer education and engagement, flexible ownership structures, and the critical role of asset management an...

In this episode of Energy Unpacked, we sit down with Raj Bagri, founder and CEO of Kapture, an Australian climate tech startup developing compact, modular carbon capture systems that retrofit directly onto diesel generators. Raj shares her unconventional journey from hospitality to climate tech and how a non-engineering background became an advantage in building a commercially viable carbon captur...

AI is driving a surge in energy demand—but what if it could also help solve some of the grid’s biggest challenges? In this episode, we chat with Matthew Meszaros, CEO of Project Ohm, about how AI infrastructure can support the energy transition—not just consume power. We unpack how flexible, distributed GPU nodes can act as a new class of “digital DER,” shifting compute demand to align with renewa...

We’re back! After a year away, Adam White and Bronte Wilson return with Season 3 of Energy Unpacked — and this time, we’re going deeper. This season features two focused mini-series:1. 🔬 InnovationExploring how the energy transition demands more than just deploying existing tech. We unpack innovation across: Hard-to-abate sectors Carbon capture  Community VPP models  AI and data centers 2.⚡ Grid...

Are distribution networks more than just poles and wires? Could they be the platforms that enable a smarter, more flexible energy future? And if so—what do we need to unlock their full potential? In our final episode of Season 2, we sit down with Andy Dunne from Ausgrid, who is leading Project Edith, a pioneering initiative focused on enabling flexible resources through innovative network pricing....

This week on Energy Unpacked, we're joined by Business Development Manager Sinead Steele from Energy Locals to discuss innovative energy solutions for high-rise developments. 🌇 Episode Highlights: 🤝 Partnering early for cost-effective solutions and future-proofed sites 🌟 Creating value for all customers 🚗 Demand for EV charging and electrification ⚡ The impact of changing regulation on embedd...

In this episode we are joined by industry guru Andy McCarthy, who has recently published his first book "Here Comes the Sun." We delve into crucial energy transition themes, including the development of our future workforce, building trust in communities, and the importance of behind-the-meter assets in our energy system. Connect with Andy McCarthy: Learn more about Andy and his book &qu...

On this episode of Energy Unpacked, we are thrilled to welcome Slava Kozlovskii, the CEO of evee to discuss the all electric car rental and sharing platform. Tune in to learn how the platform works and compares to other car-sharing and rental options, including: 🌟 Unique platform features 👥 Typical customer segments and trip lengths 🏠 Superior value proposition to hosts, and the 🌍 Benefits to...

We were blown away by our conversation with Kira Rundel from RayGen this week, an Australian technology company that has developed a cutting-edge solar thermal and long-duration storage solution. Kira, who heads up Strategic Projects, shared insights on: 🔧 How the technology works and compares to more mainstream solutions 🔄 The evolution of the company and key pivots 💡  Current use cases and fu...

🎙 This week’s episode is a fun conversation on EV charging and e-mobility trends. To help us unpack this topic we are interviewing our old colleague and favourite marketer, Rob Asseleman, who heads up marketing at Chargefox.  Rob talks to us about the drivers shaping EV charging locations, utilisation, and technology choices both publicly and privately (and in his own home). We could chat to Rob a...

This week, Tom Gay from Origin Energy joins our podcast to provide a comprehensive overview of Virtual Power Plants (VPPs). In this episode we go back to basics, covering what a VPP is, and how it can support different players in the energy transition. If you're curious about how to get additional value from your battery, heat pump, or EV charger, or simply want to understand some of the VPP produ...

We’re starting Season 2 with a bang, interviewing the always engaging Dennis Freedman- Managing Director ANZ at Aquila Clean Energy and Board Member for the Clean Energy Council. We love how Dennis simplifies complexity and connects the dots between industry, investors, the market, and regulation. In this episode, we explore: Key elements of successful grid-scale renewable energy projects Differen...

We're back with Season 2 of Energy Unpacked! This podcast is all about breaking down topics related to the Australian Energy Transition, a transition from a fossil-fuel-dependent and centralised energy system to a decentralised renewable-based one.  In Season 2, your co-hosts Bronte Wilson and Adam White, we will be interviewing industry experts on a range of topics including Virtual Power Plants...

This week we speak to social scientist Dr Hedda Ransan-Cooper about her insights on community batteries and DER as it relates to residential customers. Hedda leads the social science program within the Battery Storage and Grid Integration Program (BSGIP) at ANU.We explore what differentiates a community battery from other battery projects, and community expectations around the problems these batte...

It seems fitting to round out one of our last episodes of this season with a call for more people to join the energy industry as we embark on a once in a lifetime transition. There is no shortage of work required to decarbonise our electricity grid, but there are shortages in the people and skills required to do that work. In this conversation we provide an overview of this looming problem, the dr...

On the podcast today, we interview Matthew Charles-Jones on the topic of community energy. Matt is a founding member of the community energy group Totally Renewable Yackandandah, which is helping power a small Victorian town with 100% renewable energy. In this episode we unpack how Yackandandah came to be a national leader in the adoption of rooftop solar, and what the takeaways are for other part...