Renewable energy

CSIRO is developing and implementing renewable energy technologies to deliver sustainable power for the future.

• 31 May 2005 | Updated 14 October 2011

• Our research
• Solar energy
• Hydrogen
• Other research

Fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas have provided us with economical and convenient energy sources.

But they are finite resources and their use has come at an environmental cost.

Renewable energy sources present the prospect of energy utilisation with minimum impact on the environment, particularly in relation to greenhouse gas emission.

Commonly known renewable technologies include energy production from:

• hydro
• biomass
• geothermal
• wind
• tidal 
• photovoltaic cells

It is important to use a mix of generation options. This is because the renewable energy source is based on geographically diverse resources. It is therefore important to develop a new generation of renewable technologies.

Our research

CSIRO research in renewables aims to develop the underlying science and next generation technologies for energy production from renewables.

Development of technologies based on renewable energy offer significant opportunities for manufacturing, industry and export growth. Their uptake by the market will significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Our research work in the renewables area includes solar fossil hybrids and the development of hydrogen technologies.

Solar energy

CSIRO has successfully demonstrated a process using solar energy to convert natural gas and produce a ‘solar gas’. This solar gas has approximately 25 percent more energy than the natural gas feeding in to the process. This product can:

• increase gas pipeline energy density
• be used in fuel cells to power vehicles
• provide low-emission localised power generation

We are also constructing a state-of-the-art facility for ground-breaking solar energy research and product development. The National Solar Energy Technology Centre, part of the CSIRO Energy Centre in Newcastle, will deliver advances in innovative solar technologies in collaboration with other national and international research institutes.

Hydrogen

With growing concern over sustainable energy production and use, and the cost and security of energy supply both for the stationary generation and transport sectors, there is an increasing drive to move towards the hydrogen economy.

CSIRO projects in this area include:

• hydrogen generation
• hydrogen powered fuel cells
• the production of materials for use in hydrogen fuel cells
• water splitting to produce hydrogen

Other research

We also undertake research in:

• geothermal energy
• synthesising and assessing materials for use as photocatalysts
• designing and developing motors that run on solar power
• developing new materials for energy production

 Find out more about Energy generation and storage.