Ben Elliston

UNSW Sydney | UNSW

It is widely acknowledged that climate change is occurring because of anthropogenic emissions. To avoid the worst impacts of climate change, many countries are aiming to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. Reaching net zero emissions by 2050 will likely require a net zero electricity grid somewhat earlier than 2050 as other sectors of the economy w...

The rapid growth of renewable energy (RE) is disrupting and transforming the global energy system, especially the electricity industry. As a result, supporters of the politically powerful incumbent industries and others are critiquing the feasibility of large-scale electricity generating systems based predominantly on RE. Part of this opposition is...

Australia has one of the highest per capita greenhouse gas emissions of industrialised countries, resulting mainly from its high dependence upon coal for electricity generation. To explore technological options for the transition to a renewable energy future, we have developed computer simulations for 100 % renewable generation to meet hour-by-hour...

This study aims to identify research priorities to enable low cost, high renewable power systems. An evolutionary program optimises the mix of technologies in 100% renewable energy portfolios (RE) in the Australian National Electricity Market. Various technologies are reduced in availability to determine their relative importance for achieving low...

This study evaluates the incremental costs of higher levels of renewable energy (RE) supply using an optimisation tool to find least cost electricity generation portfolios. The Australian National Electricity Market (NEM) in 2030 is used as a case study for exploring various generation portfolios from low to high shares of RE, low to high greenhous...

This paper reports on future electricity generation scenarios modelled using NEMO, a model that applies a genetic algorithm to optimise a mix of simulated generators to meet hourly demand profiles, to the required reliability standard, at lowest overall industry cost. The modelling examined the least and near least cost technology portfolios for a...

As part of an on-going program to develop technological scenarios for 100 per cent renewable generation within the Australian National Electricity Market (NEM), we explore the degree to which concentrating solar thermal (CST) power might reliably contribute to the generation mix. We analyse satellite-derived hourly direct normal irradiance data pro...

Policy makers face difficult choices in planning to decarbonise their electricity industries in the face of significant technology and economic uncertainties. To this end we compare the projected costs in 2030 of one medium-carbon and two low-carbon fossil fuel scenarios for the Australian National Electricity Market (NEM) against the costs of a pr...

Least cost options are presented for supplying the Australian National Electricity Market (NEM) with 100% renewable electricity using wind, photovoltaics, concentrating solar thermal (CST) with storage, hydroelectricity and biofuelled gas turbines. We use a genetic algorithm and an existing simulation tool to identify the lowest cost (investment an...

We investigate the impacts on the biophysical economy, employment and environment of a transition scenario to an energy-efficient, 100% renewable electricity (RE) system by 2060, based on wind, solar and biomass technologies, and an introduction of electric vehicles. We employ a CSIRO process-based model of the physical activity of Australia’s econ...

As a part of a program to explore technological options for the transition to a renewable energy future, we present simulations for 100% renewable energy systems to meet actual hourly electricity demand in the five states and one territory spanned by the Australian National Electricity Market (NEM) in 2010. The system is based on commercially avail...

In recent years, the cost of photovoltaics (PV) has fallen significantly while electricity prices in many parts of the world have sharply increased. The policy challenge for PV is often described as temporary support measures required to arrive at 'grid parity', the point at which, it is claimed, endusers will deploy PV without further incentives....

The problem of conflicting interactions between pairs of optimising transformations is well known. A new field of research known as adaptive compilation has emerged, where the fixed optimisation sequence is removed and the compiler searches for the sequence most suited to the source program. Adaptive compilation is frequently criticised for its exc...

Mr. Elliston is working on a protocol for using SCSI devices to network Linux clusters in order to transfer data at high speeds

Research carried out in the United Kingdom in the late 1990s demonstrated the fea-sibility of using photovoltaics to minimise the use of diesel generators in refrigerated transport. Several years ago, UK supermarket chain Sainsbury's began to trial the use of PV modules mounted on trailers to provide the energy needed to keep the trailer contents r...