We bring courage, determination, integrity and most importantly, action in the fight for a smart energy future.
Don Henry
Board President
Bio
Don Henry has worked with businesses, governments, and civil society in Australia and globally on the transition to sustainability and action for low carbon economies. He is Enterprise Professor of Environmentalism at the Melbourne Business School and the University of Melbourne. Don sits on the international board of the Climate Reality Project, chaired by the Hon Al Gore, and the Forum for Corporate Responsibility of BHP.
He has expertise in business strategies for sustainability, climate and biodiversity policy, and international action for sustainability. Don grew up in Brisbane and has worked for World Wildlife Fund in Washington DC and the Australian Conservation Foundation. His services have been recognised by an Order of Australia.
Rosemary Barnes
Board Member
Bio
Rosemary Barnes is an engineer with a PhD on wind turbine blade design and two decades of experience developing clean energy technologies, including 5 years working for a major wind turbine manufacturer in Denmark.
Since returning to Australia, she has founded Pardalote, a consulting service providing advice to clean tech startups, and investors and operators of clean technologies.
She is also the owner of the YouTube channel Engineering with Rosie, through which she educates and excites her audience about renewable energy technologies and how the engineering development process works.
Steve Blume
Board Member
Bio
Steve Blume is one of Australia’s most experienced energy experts and advocates with more than 25 years experience in the energy sector after 25 years in ITC.
Director Australian Smart Energy Council; Director Solar Accreditation Australia; Director Global Solar Council; Director Pacifica Renewable Energy
Training Alliance; Director, Australian Institute of Energy and Director & Secretary-General Asia PV Industry Association.
CEO of NoCarbon Pty Ltd, smart energy consulting, advocacy & advice. Steve is a former political adviser, private & public sector senior executive and change advocate, fighting for zero carbon energy policies and technological solutions to urgently & rapidly reduce emissions causing global heating and climate change.
Andrew Dickson
Board Member
Bio
Andrew Dickson has been a renewable energy project developer since 2004, initially with Wind Prospect and currently with CWP Global.
He has developed wind farms (including the Snowtown Wind Farm in South Australia), solar thermal (including Solar Dawn in Queensland, which was successful in the Commonwealth’s Solar Flagships program in 2011), solar PV, microgrids, hydrogen and ammonia projects.
He is currently developing “Power to X” (large scale hydrogen and ammonia) projects for CWP Global, with projects in Western Australia, Africa and South America, including the Asian Renewable Energy Hub in the Pilbara.
Andrew is passionate about the potential for green hydrogen and ammonia energy to dramatically increase renewable energy adoption and to decarbonise hard to abate sectors. He Chairs the Ammonia Energy Association’s Australia Committee and is also a member of the AEA’s global Strategy Committee.
He led CWP Renewables’ Community Investment Scheme at the Sapphire Wind Farm, which was the first such investment scheme for the general public into a utility scale renewable energy project in Australia.
Andrew has a Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical and Electronic) degree from the University of New South Wales and a Master of Science and Technology Commercialisation degree from the University of Adelaide.
Barbara Elliston
Board Member
Bio
Based in New Zealand, Barbara Elliston is a director of Elliston Power Consultants, Infratec Limited and Easy Warm. A qualified electrical engineer, Barbara’s background includes corporate governance, strategic development, transmission engineering, product development and start-ups in renewable energy, both solar thermal and solar photovoltaics.
Previous roles in “big-energy” electricity networks include directorships with Genesis Energy and Transpower, and in power management with Comalco NZ. Through these associations, Barbara’s experience over 30 years in the electricity sector encompass generation, transmission and distribution, power purchase, and now solar in homes. The entrepreneur is currently commercialising Hot PV™, a solar hot water product directly using solar PV to heat water, aiding stretched electrical networks and avoiding fuel supply to remote locations.
Scott Hamilton
Board Member
Bio
Scott Hamilton is an author, researcher and policy advisor. He is Adjunct Associate Professor at the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Monash University and is Senior Advisor to the Smart Energy Council, a peak industry body in Australia.
He is an expert in renewable energy, green hydrogen, energy transition, natural resource management and climate change.
His first book, ‘Sold Down The River – How Robber Barons and Wall Street Traders Cornered Australia’s Water Market’, traverses the energy, waste and water nexus.
His latest book co-authored with John Brumby and Stuart Kells is titled ‘A Better Australia – Politics, public policy and how to achieve lasting reform’. He writes regularly for The Mandarin and other publications.
Taryn Lane
Board Member
Bio
Taryn lives in Central Victoria and is the part-time manager of Australia’s first community-owned cooperative wind farm Hepburn Wind, working there for over a decade. The wind farm has pioneered the community energy movement in Australia and has been recognised with national and global awards for its unique approach. Hepburn Wind delivers a range of partnership programs under the collaborative banner of Hepburn Z-NET with their council and community such as solar and battery bulk buy, energy audits, EV bulk buy, EV charging infrastructure, to reach zero-net emissions by 2030.
In addition, Taryn works for UNSW on an Australian Research Council funded project ‘Just Climate Transitions in Regional Victoria’, which is focused on how social justice frameworks can stimulate community-led climate transitions. Taryn runs her own small consulting practice which undertakes research and advisory engagement work for the renewables sector.
Taryn is a founding director of RE-Alliance, a founding director of the Coalition for Community Energy and a 2017 Winston Churchill Trust Fellow.
Ria O'Hehir
Board Member
Bio
Ria is the CEO of Greenbank Environmental, one of Australia’s largest independent environmental traders. She has played a key role in facilitating the renewable energy transition with extensive leadership experience, helping a range of stakeholders – from wind and solar farms to installers and carbon farmers – bring their environmental units and renewable energy certificates to market.
Ria also works with major energy companies and financial institutions to help them meet their obligations under federal and state environmental schemes, including voluntary procurement requirements.
During Ria’s 17 years dealing with Australian environmental products, she has gained the knowledge and expertise to help clients navigate complex energy markets and carbon schemes. Ria and Greenbank are focused on continuing to use their market-leading knowledge to deliver positive outcomes for local and international clients while supporting the renewable energy transition.
Rod Scott
Board Member
Bio
Rod Scott has served as Selectronic Australia’s CEO since 2016, having previously held the position of Executive Director of Sales and Marketing from 2005. With a strong background in the IT industry, Rod established his career by working with various innovative startups, developing a keen eye for emerging technologies and market opportunities. This experience has proven invaluable as renewable energy increasingly intersects with data analytics, smart systems, and digital communications.
Under Rod’s guidance, Selectronic continues its six-decade family legacy of designing and manufacturing premium battery-based inverters for Australian and global markets. Founded in 1964, the company remains at the forefront of sustainable energy innovation and Rod was instrumental in expanding the company’s market presence both domestically and internationally.
Rod is passionate about positioning Australia as a world leader in renewable energy solutions. He envisions a future where Australian-designed technology plays a pivotal role in the global transition to sustainable power solutions.