Disruption driving the new energy grid

The opening panel of the 2016 Australian Energy Storage Conference and Exhibition, to be held in Sydney next month, has been announced.

With the theme ‘Disruption Driving the New Energy Grid’, the panel will see speakers address the fact that the way we store and deliver power is undergoing change and disruption. Will this future happen before there is time to think strategically and develop plans? Is our grid ready for largest scale addition of aggregated distributed energy? Would earlier adoption and integration of EVs to the grid be less disruptive? What can be learned from other industries where sudden change happened?

The panel will feature Simon Hackett and James Myatt, representatives from ‘new disruptors’ Redflow and Mojo Power, respectively. Redflow is the first flow battery company to outsource the manufacturing of its products, while Mojo Power, as Australia’s newest energy retailer, has the potential to accelerate the growth of Australia’s energy battery storage industry through a fixed cost and charges model.

Energy thought leaders Kobad Bhavnagri, head of Australia, Bloomberg New Energy Finance, and Mark Higgins, chief operating officer, strategen and senior advisor to California Energy Storage Alliance, will also join the panel. Bhavnagri is based in Sydney and has a strong understanding of Australia’s role in energy storage, while Higgins is based in the Californian hub of emerging companies and international investment.

The panel will set the scene for an action-packed event, to be held from 1–2 June at Australian Technology Park, Sydney. To register for your place at the conference, view the dedicated energy storage exhibition and attend the free industry workshops, visit www.australianenergystorage.com.au.