Mr Wes Stein is the Project Manager of the National Solar Energy Centre.

Mr Wes Stein: one of our brightest solar energy experts

Mr Wes Stein joined CSIRO in 2000 after 19 years implementing renewable energy projects with industry, working in power station operation, maintenance and design.

• 28 February 2006 | Updated 14 October 2011

• Current activities
• Background
• Academic qualifications
• Achievements 

Current activities

As the Project Leader of the National Solar Energy Centre (NSEC) Mr Stein's responsibilities include:

• establishing the NSEC, comprising both high and medium concentration solar collectors for solar research, development and demonstration
• development and management of the Centre’s solar hydrogen and solar turbine projects.

He is also the Manager of Renewable Energy for CSIRO’s Division of Energy Technology, where he is involved in developing and delivering renewable energy technologies, projects and innovative energy strategies which foster the development of a sustainable energy industry.

Background

Mr Stein has extensive experience in the energy and power industry with a strong background in thermodynamic cycles.

He has been involved with development and implementation of new and emerging energy technologies and possesses a strong understanding of and familiarity with the Australian energy industry. 

He has also been involved in thermodynamic and economic modeling of sustainable energy technologies and has delivered a number of bioenergy feasibility and technology assessment studies for clients.

Before joining CSIRO in 2000 Mr Stein worked at Pacific Power for 19 years, implementing a number of renewable energy projects with industry and working in power station operation, maintenance and design roles.

Academic qualifications

Mr Stein was awarded a Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) with First Class Honours and a Master of Engineering.

Achievements

Mr Stein developed the first National Bioenergy Database of fuel characteristics.

Recently he has completed a report for the World Bank which includes a global assessment of the status of Solar Thermal technology and offers strategic recommendations on how to progress it throughout the world.

He has also been a Task Leader in IEA SolarPACES (Solar Power and Chemical Energy Systems) and participated in the NSW Government's Executive Development Program.

Mr Stein sits on a number of national and international conference scientific committees for solar and renewable energy and is a member of a number of government technical panels for assessing grants for renewable energy proposals.

Mr Stein was awarded the UK Rendel Award for a paper on Global energy issues for the next 30 years and was the recipient of a Confederation of British Industry scholarship.

He has worked at each of the major solar thermal research institutions in the world as part of an Institution of Engineers, Australia (IEA) scholarship, to co-develop high temperature solar cycles.

He is member of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, and also a member of both CSIRO’s Science Forum and Bioenergy Australia Management Committee.

Find out more about Solar thermal energy research.