Australia’s clean energy future: how Monash is driving change

As Australia debates the speed and scale of the energy transition, Monash University is working at the frontier of solutions. From pioneering energy technologies to reimagining markets and systems, Monash is using its research strength and partnerships to accelerate climate action.

Realising Australia’s vision for a cheap, clean and reliable energy system remains a challenge. Increasing extreme weather events are causing power outages, communities are resisting new transmission projects, energy costs are rising, and there is a critical shortage of skilled professionals to manage the energy transition. Universities are uniquely positioned to address these complex issues through expertise and unbiased perspectives for the public good.

A dynamic and diverse community of energy researchers and practitioners at Monash University has a shared commitment to tackling these challenges through impactful research, professional training, and informing policy design.

As a community, Monash’s impact depends on the leadership, engagement and support from our academic leaders and sponsors, as well as our external advisors and funding partners. This collaborative approach ensures Monash’s work remains relevant, innovative and aligned with global energy needs.

A net-zero university in practice

Monash was the first Australian university to commit to net-zero emissions by 2030, with dramatic progress already achieved in reducing campus emissions through renewable electricity, on-site solar, and storage. Monash Energy Institute and ClimateWorks Centre at Monash developed a Net Zero on Campus Initiative which is now hosted by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. The initiative published a Net Zero on Campus guide that is now published in several languages shared with over 1,000 universities globally, and brings over 200 university sustainability practitioners together through a dynamic resource kit online.

The award-winning Clayton microgrid has become a global model for how communities can integrate renewable energy, batteries and demand-response systems.

Monash’s Clayton campus is one of Australia’s largest real-world net zero demonstrations, with more than 90 buildings electrified.

Research at scale and scope

Over 150 Monash researchers collaborate on the energy transition. Monash’s deep technical strength and interdisciplinary approach ensures solutions are robust, socially accepted, and economically viable.

Initiatives such as ARC Centre of Excellence for 21st Century Weather, ARC special research initiative Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future, Health and Climate Initiative, and the Energy Lab span climate science, environmental protection, public health, and energy markets, demonstrating the University’s commitment to integrated research and collaboration that addresses Australia’s most pressing energy and climate challenges.

The university is also globally recognised for expertise in understanding future expectations and everyday life circumstances, helping to forecast and plan equitable, practical energy transitions.

Under the leadership of Professor Yolande Strengers – an award-winning digital sociologist and human-computer interaction (HCI) expert, and Research Director at the Monash Energy Institute – Monash is deepening its commitment to uncovering the social dynamics of energy transition.

“Never has there been a time when we have needed trusted, rigorous and industry-relevant research more than now,” Professor Strengers said.

“How households use energy is changing. The Monash-led Scenarios for Future Living project is reimagining how we plan for energy in Australia, delivering survey trends, foresights, design prototypes, and new modelling and planning tools to help us understand how changing technologies and lifestyles will shape the way Australians use energy in the future.”

Dr Kari Dahlgren, a DECRA fellow in the School of Social Sciences, and Associate of the  Monash Energy Institute, emphasised the importance of understanding how people actually use energy in daily life.

“Households value energy for what it enables them to achieve in their everyday lives. If social values and diversity are incorporated into energy planning, predictions will not only be more accurate, but can also enable the energy transition to be more equitable and just,” Dr Dahlgren said.

Game-changing technologies

Monash’s success is built on decades of pioneering contributions to solar PV and energy systems since the 1990s. These foundational achievements continue to underpin its current leadership in renewable integration, battery research, and system modelling.

The Monash energy community continues to lead the way in breakthrough innovations that redefine the future of sustainable energy:

  • The ARC Research Hub for Carbon Utilisation and Recycling (RECARB), led by Monash, is advancing practical pathways to turn hard-to-abate CO₂ emissions into valuable products, while developing the markets and supply chains needed to commercialise them.  

    “This work complements Monash’s broader clean-energy leadership and partnerships driving Australia’s energy transition,” Professor Paul Webley said.
  • Green Steel: Monash is pioneering research to transform Australia’s steel industry. Researchers are developing technologies and economic models to make green steel both sustainable and commercially viable, while collaborations with organisations such as Geoscience Australia and Tata Steel advance practical applications. Monash also informs policy through expert submissions and shapes the next generation of energy leaders via specialised courses and research programs.
  • The Eureka-Prize winning map pinpoints Australia's renewable potential and is Australia’s first publicly accessible green steel model and serves as a scoping tool for industry and policymakers. The research team led by Monash Engineering’s Dr Stuart Walsh and Dr Marcus Haynes from Geoscience Australia, created the world-first online platform.
  • Professors Doug MacFarlane and Alexandr Simonov are driving breakthroughs in clean fuels. Professor MacFarlane, an Australian Laureate Fellow, has developed electrolysis methods that convert renewable energy into green ammonia – key for both fuels and fertilizers. Associate Professor Simonov focuses on designing high-performance electrocatalytic and photovoltaic materials to efficiently convert renewable energy into sustainable fuels. Together, their work exemplifies Monash’s commitment to innovative technologies that accelerate the transition to a cleaner, low-carbon future.
  • Battery research: Professor Mainak Majumder spearheaded the development of an ultra-fast charging lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery. Currently being tested in commercial drones, the lightweight batteries could eventually power long-haul EVs and electric aircraft.
  • Smart charging technologies, including EV infrastructure and trials, are being driven by initiatives such as the Smart Charging Strategies for EVs in Smart Grid project. Innovations in this space are making the shift to electric transport faster, more efficient, and more sustainable. Associate Professor Reza Razzaghi, recently awarded the AEA prize for his contributions, is developing intelligent power systems that optimise charging for both users and the grid. Dr Hao Wang is advancing AI-driven approaches to integrate distributed energy resources like solar and EVs, enabling smarter, greener energy management.
  • Monash is driving breakthroughs in green hydrogen, bioenergy, and renewable energy storage. The research combines advanced modelling, real-world trials, and industry partnerships to deliver solutions that are both scalable and commercially viable.
  • Membrane Pilot Facility: A national-scale facility at Monash Clayton to accelerate the translation of advanced membrane research into industrial solutions.

Spinouts:

  • ElectraLith: A Monash spinout pioneering the cleanest and most efficient lithium extraction and refining technology.
  • Jupiter Ionics: Produces green ammonia from renewable energy – an industrial-scale, zero-emission solution.
  • Monash spinout, MonSol, is commercialising the patented Concertina PV – a lightweight, modular, fold-out solar array that deploys in minutes and packs small for easy transport. Designed for rapid, two-person field setup and integration with portable storage, it provides a clean, quiet alternative to diesel generators. The system is designed for places that need quick, clean power – like building sites, outdoor events, mine sites, disaster zones or defence operations

Shaping markets, policy and social licence

The Monash Grid Innovation Hub integrates AI forecasting for solar and wind to optimise grid reliability and system security.

Professor Behrooz Bahrani, Co-Director of the Grid Innovation Hub, said enhancing the stability and resilience of the national energy grid is crucial as we accelerate our transition to renewable energy.

“Monash is committed to doing all we can to facilitate the seamless integration of renewables into our grid, and we’re optimistic that this collaboration will again come up with innovative solutions,” Professor Bahrani said.

“As researchers, we're working hard to make these changes easier and faster, so that everyone can enjoy a cleaner, safer world.”

Shreejan Pandey, Director, Monash Energy Institute, said the program focuses on addressing grid stability challenges and market design dynamics with new technologies such as grid-forming inverters and battery storage on our grid.

“Results from this work are translated into short courses and white papers to inform industry design decisions and government policy,” he said.

The first Australian university to sign a formal Memorandum of Understanding with the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC), Monash plays a formal policy role in strengthening collaboration on energy policy, market design and system transformation.

Through connections with the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO), Monash enables research insights to inform rules and system operations.

The Monash Business School’s Professor Guillaume Roger and Co-Director of Grid Innovation Hub researches energy market design and policy in the context of Australia’s evolving energy outlook and storage systems, helping ensure efficient design of our energy market.

“Renewable energy is either available when we need it least or sporadically and randomly. If we want renewables as a primary source, we must address the mismatch between when energy is produced and when it’s consumed,”  Professor Roger said.

Dr Diane Kraal, an Adjunct Senior Research Fellow in Business Law and Taxation at the Monash Business School, has leading research into ‘energy justice’ - a framework that helps governments and industry make fairer and more sustainable energy decisions. Her work examines how policies can balance affordability, environmental sustainability, and energy security, ensuring that both the costs and benefits of energy are shared more equitably.

Dr Kraal says policy must balance competing demands fairly.

“The challenge is to design energy and resources taxation laws that balance the economic, political, and environmental aims of society. This energy justice framework helps us see the trade-offs more clearly.”

Global and national partnerships

Monash Energy Institute is a founding member of the Energy Research Institutes Council for Australia (ERICA), working to align research and policy goals nationally.

As a founding partner of the RACE for 2030 CRC, the Monash Energy Institute co-led its development under the leadership of the late Professor Ariel Liebman, driving collaboration between government and industry to advance clean energy pathways.

Internationally, the university co-leads the Australia-India Critical Minerals Research Hub, strengthening Indo-Pacific supply chain resilience for clean technology components.

Monash is actively collaborating with Indonesia and India to enhance grid stability, integrate renewables, and support evidence-based energy transition policies across the region.

Education and future leaders

Monash University is equipping the next generation of energy and climate leaders through a suite of initiatives that bridge research, industry and policy. The Zema Energy Studies Scholarship, offered jointly with AEMO, connects students with industry mentors and partners - including market operators, energy utilities, and technology providers – preparing them to tackle real-world challenges in energy markets, systems and policy.

Monash also recently launched the Ariel Liebman RACE for 2030 Monash University Indonesia PhD Program, a groundbreaking partnership designed to develop future energy research leaders in both Australia and Indonesia.

Students from PLN (Indonesia) also engage through campus placements and collaborative research projects, strengthening international knowledge exchange.

These programs sit within Monash’s broader climate and energy education framework, which spans units and initiatives providing students with practical, interdisciplinary skills to drive climate action and the transition to sustainable energy systems.

Looking ahead

The clean energy transition is one of the defining challenges of our era. Monash leverages its integrated strengths in materials innovation, system modelling, market design and social research to deliver scalable, trustworthy solutions. With independence, transparency and public focus, Monash is powering Australia’s clean energy future.

Professor Andrew Dyer, Chair of the Monash Energy Institute Advisory Council, Professorial Fellow at Monash, and former Australian Energy Infrastructure Commissioner, reflected on the scale of change required.

“Going forward, I see much more distributed and diverse energy sources for electricity, from coal, gas, on-shore and off-shore wind, solar, hydro and pumped hydro, along with large scale battery storage facilities and, possibly, nuclear down the track. Also, our energy grid was designed around centralised coal resources – connecting renewables to the grid is different, complex and needs careful planning and investment,” Professor Dyer said.

Mr Pandey said despite record investments available for clean energy deployment and energy being a key election issue over the past decade, public investment in energy research has halved from a near 10 per cent share of public investment in R&D to less than 5 per cent over the past decade.

“There is less than $700 million for all energy-related research, development and innovation. In response, the Monash Energy Institute is taking action, advocating for more public resources and investment through trusted voices and forums,” he said.

Every Monash research partnership follows strict governance and integrity protocols, with funding sources transparently declared ensuring research remains independent and credible.