Renewable energy innovations helping Australia, and the world, to Net Zero

At Flinders University, new and innovative research is helping to reach the 2050 global target of net human-caused emissions of CO2. Here’s how.

To prevent the worst climate damages, average global temperature rises must be limited to 1.5°C, a global target outlined in the Paris Climate Agreement. To achieve this, global net human-caused emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) need to reach net zero by 2050.

At Flinders University, researchers are working to improve renewable energy sources and advance environmentally sensitive energy usage so this target can be achieved.

Important research developments include innovations that will change our current energy consumption habits, from developing new types of batteries, to more efficient generation of hydrogen from water, and improvements to wind turbines that produce more eco-friendly power.

Why is Net Zero so important?

Net Zero emissions refer to achieving an overall balance between greenhouse gas emissions produced and greenhouse gas emissions taken out of the atmosphere. Essentially, no more greenhouse gas can be added to the atmosphere in any given year than the amount taken out.

Carbon dioxide is just one of the greenhouse gases emitted when humans burn fossil fuels.

If the climate can’t be stabilised and temperatures continue to rise, scientists warn of more extreme and more frequent extreme weather events, such as floods, droughts and fires. Sea levels will also continue to rise as the world heats up.

A new type of battery

Global demand for lithium-ion batteries is accelerating the mining and use of raw materials required to make these power cells, while also generating excessive technology-associated waste. Therefore, our ways of constructing these crucial components of renewable energy technologies, such as electric vehicles, has to change. Flinders nanotech researchers have found that batteries made from Aqueous zinc-ion (AZIBs) could be the answer to produce safe and reliable low-cost alternatives for rechargeable batteries.

“Our research paves the way for the production of simple and practical AZIBs made from low-cost commercial synthetic materials, called polymers, that optimise the battery performance,” says Associate Professor Zongfen Jia, who leads a research group working on Sustainable Polymers for Energy and Environment.

This team is also making big advances in fully organic, rechargeable household batteries as an ideal alternative to traditional metal-based batteries. Working in collaboration with other Australian and Chinese scientists, a battery made from synthetic polymers is being developed that can deliver a cell voltage of 2.8V – a big leap forward to improve the energy storage capability of organic batteries.

Helping to harness Hydrogen power

New breakthroughs are making greater energy efficiencies possible, with advanced sustainable chemistry enabling the efficient generation of hydrogen from water using solar power. 

An international study led by Flinders researchers has discovered a new class of solar-friendly material, providing a potential catalyst for the critical chemical reaction needed to produce pollution-free hydrogen energy.

This study paves the way towards the creation of carbon-free green hydrogen technologies that use non-greenhouse-gas-emitting forms of power.

Leading by example

Flinders is leading the way by practical example, powering the University’s campuses and facilities with 100 per cent renewable energy from campus-based solar panels and a local windfarm, achieving net-zero emissions from electricity. 

Flinders University’s Bedford Park campus generates nearly 2 MW of renewable energy through its rooftop and car park solar installations, meeting around 15 per cent of the campus’s total electricity needs. The remainder of the university’s energy requirements are sourced primarily from wind generation in South Australia’s mid-north region – making Flinders a campus using 100 per cent renewable energy.  

Through transitioning the University’s fleet to electric vehicles and introducing charging spaces on campus for 44 electric vehicles, these measures have helped contribute to a 20 per cent decrease in greenhouse gas emissions in 2024 and an 11 per cent drop in natural gas usage, driven by initiatives that include replacing gas boilers with heat pumps and thermal storage. 

This adds up to Flinders rapidly moving towards becoming one of Australia’s first carbon positive tertiary institutions through a cost-effective range of renewable supply and storage projects, aligning with its decarbonisation roadmap and the University’s 2030 Sustainability Strategy.

Improving wind turbine efficiency

To increase the efficiency of next-generation vertical wind turbines, Flinders scientists are trialling a new prototype in collaboration with start-up company VAWT-X Energy. 

Until now, horizontal-axis wind turbines have led the way in the global transition to renewable energy, but Flinders engineering experts are challenging this trend by working with vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs).

The futuristic new design that has been installed on the Fleurieu Peninsula could increase the sustainability and energy operating costs of residential, agricultural and light industrial operations close to metropolitan areas, as well as large-scale offshore windfarms.

Dr Amir Zanj, head of the Advanced Wind Energy Technology research group at Flinders, and who also works in partnership with VAWT-X Energy, says the large standalone vertical turbine is more efficient than conventional horizontal turbines, especially when operated in big numbers on wind farms. 

“They also offer greater stability for offshore use, and adaptability to urban areas with shifting winds – all while being quieter and more economical to operate.” 

This research group is also reviewing how to enhance and improve vertical wind turbines, to improve their efficiency.  

The solution to sustainable energy problems is complex, but Flinders researchers realise that investing their energy onto a range of pragmatic solutions is making a difference to how we can all use energy more wisely.