A HUMAN-CENTRED APPROACH TO SPATIALLY VISUALISING ENERGY NETWORKS FOR TIME-SENSITIVE DECISION SUPPORT

Merry Hoang

PhD Candidate, Monash University (Zema Scholar)

Supervisors: Dr Sarah Goodwin, A/Prof Roger Dargaville, Prof Tim Dwyer

Research interest: How can spatial overlays (weather and terrain data) be integrated into or alongside an energy network diagram for multi-domain decision support?

Merry Hoang, another recipient of the Zema Scholarship, is using her expertise in data science to tackle one of the energy sector's emerging challenges: improving situational awareness in energy networks through advanced visualisation techniques. Having previously worked on projects related to climate change and sustainable development, Hoang is now turning her focus to energy network data, with the goal of developing innovative tools for visualising complex grid operations.

Under the supervision of Dr Sarah Goodwin, Associate Professor Roger Dargaville, and Professor Tim Dwyer, Hoang’s research is exploring how spatial data visualisation can enhance decision-making in the energy sector. “There’s so much potential for real-world impact in the way we represent energy data,” Hoang explains. “I hope my work will lead to better tools that help grid operators manage the increasing complexity of the energy transition.”

Merry’s career path has been shaped by a strong commitment to social and environmental sustainability, and a deep interest in systems thinking. Her journey to a PhD has taken a non-linear route – beginning with undergraduate study, followed by roles in strategy consulting and a startup focused on the circular economy.

She later completed a Master of Data Science at Monash University while working as a data science consultant at SGS Economics & Planning. There, she contributed to a wide range of spatially focused projects, including infrastructure demand modelling, social and affordable housing, land use planning, and rental affordability. Spatial data remains central to her work, not only for its analytical power but also because, as she puts it, "maps are just really beautiful."

Although Merry was not directly involved in energy projects at SGS, exposure to them sparked her interest in energy systems. She was drawn to the way energy infrastructure moves through space, and to the challenges and opportunities presented by renewable energy – particularly how it relies on natural resources and fixed networks. She sees renewable energy as a large-scale version of a veggie patch, with the challenge of the network being fixed and limited.

What continues to inspire Merry is the intersection of innovation and impact within the energy sector. From advanced battery technology to AI for decision-making, she believes the sector holds endless opportunities. Her current research explores these intersections through the lens of spatial data, aiming to contribute meaningful insights to support an equitable and sustainable energy transition.

Publications:

Merry Kim Hoang, Sarah Goodwin, Roger Dargaville, and Tim Dwyer. 2026. How Do Operators Use Network Diagrams? Characterising Visualisation Tasks in an Energy Control Room. In Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI ’26), April 13–17, 2026, Barcelona, Spain. ACM, New York, NY, USA, 22 pages. https://doi.org/10.1145/3772318.3791442