With our prime coal-based energy system causing greenhouse effects, CQUniversity's Power Engineering Research Group is doing the technical studies to enable initiatives that will combat this ‘burning issue'...

The Group is anticipating Australia will follow America's lead to influence ‘energy neutral' house design. It is therefore examining how home-based renewable energy sources such as solar and wind will influence the development of the wider electricity grid.

L-R: Mustafizur Rahman (Masters student working on smart meters), Gang Liu (working on sustainable indicators), G. Shafiullah (working on renewable energy and its impact on power grid), Dr Fakhrul Islam (Postdoctoral Research fellow) and Dr. Amanullah M Than Oo.

Researchers are also considering how to implement an efficient smart meter system, so electricity authorities have real-time data at individual house level and so householders can monitor their energy use and production, while selling any excess power back to the grid.

The Group is also keen to find the most efficient mechanism to monitor the electricity distribution system and the best way to provide sustainability indicators. Anyone wishing to contact the Group can phone Dr Amanullah M Than Oo via 07 4930 9632 or email a.maungthanoo@cqu.edu.au .

Meanwhile, CQUniversity has also prepared a ClimatePrimerCQ report. This new resource is based on the collection of baseline data on climate change awareness and preparedness in the Rockhampton region and includes the latest modelling estimates for local climate change.

Researcher Dr Susan Kinnear said our region is distinctive because of the number and types of industries and the extent to which climate change will affect them.

"Businesses in the Rockhampton region remain uncertain and unconvinced of climate change, despite the fact that a changing climate will have implications across the region," she said.

Dr. Amanullah M Than Oo, the Power Engineering Research Group leader.

"The potential opportunities of climate change in this region include the potential to access the carbon economy, increased government incentives, and changing business operations to create eco-efficiencies.

"Meanwhile, risks include how to respond to the uncertainty of climate change, concerns about new government taxes and how to meet climate challenges with limited resources and escalating costs."

Dr Kinnear said there was strong evidence to support a regionally-based approach to managing climate change in Central Queensland. She said the sooner that climate change action was undertaken, the sooner the region would benefit.

CQUniversity is a member of the CQ Carbon Network and ClimatePrimerCQ has been co-funded by CQUniversity and RRD. Dr Kinnear is Leader of the Sustainable Regional Development Program of the Centre for Environmental Management at the University. For details on the report you can contact Dr Kinnear via 07 4930 9336 or  s.kinnear@cqu.edu.au.