Client 

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA)

 

Background

One of ARENA’s key investment priorities is to demonstrate the application and economic benefits of using renewable energy within industrial processes, particularly for process heating. Since the use of renewables in industrial processes is a relatively new focus for Australian industry, ARENA required support to deliver half day workshops for industry representations in Brisbane (9 November ), Sydney (11 November), Melbourne (13 November) and Perth (9 February 2016).

 

The workshops aimed to ​to inform, engage and assist industry representatives to identify and develop high quality funding proposals for ARENA to consider.

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Brief

• Design and facilitate a series of half day workshop for businesses that have process applications that could be serviced by solar thermal renewable heat options.

• Develop a workshop report summarising the workshop presentations, discussions and provide recommendations for next steps based on industry input.

 

Outcome

 

Feedback from industry participants confirmed the value of the workshops. Success was demonstrated by:

• The large number of industry participants that attended the workshops. Participation numbers were 50% higher than expected.

• The high level of interaction and engagement by industry participants at the workshops themselves. Over 15 potential projects were explored with regard to project needs, opportunities, challenges and solutions.

• A number of experienced industry energy practitioners suggested that a focus on renewables in their businesses was new and timely given their previous focus on energy efficiency.

• Responses to the post workshop survey which highlighted that 84% of respondents found each of the main workshop sessions as either somewhat or very useful.

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