ARENA has invested $1 billion in more than 230 projects, fellowships and scholarships that are paving the way for a more diverse energy future for Australia.
Thirty one of these projects have now been completed, with many more scheduled to reach key milestones and/or completion in 2015.
Each of these projects is producing valuable knowledge and outcomes that are being shared with the energy industry to help overcome challenges and advance renewable energy in Australia.
For example, the South Australian Centre for Geothermal Energy Research’s project has produced a reliable tool for accurate, pre-drilling predictions of geothermal energy reservoir characteristics. This could lead to a significant improvement in geothermal energy exploration and development.
A University of Newcastle project has created a working prototype of a device called a thermionic energy converter, which directly converts heat generated by concentrated sunlight into electricity.
And a project delivered by CSIRO in partnership with Abengoa, which explored cost-effective ways to collect and store solar thermal energy at high temperatures, has provided many valuable insights.
ARENA is actively on the lookout for high-value projects to invest in, and is continuing to fund new ground breaking and innovative projects to make renewable energy more affordable.
