Centres of Research Excellence Fund

2006 Expressions of Interest

New Zealand Energy Research Centre

Director:   Prof. Gerry Carrington
Host:         University of Otago

Partners:     The University of Auckland
                    The University of Waikato
                    Massey University
                    Victoria University of Wellington
                    University of Canterbury
                    Lincoln University
                    Landcare Research

Abstract:

New Zealand faces energy challenges on an unprecedented scale as growing demands for traditional energy resources become unsustainable and climate change imperatives intensify. The New Zealand Energy Research Centre (NZERC) will provide a positive response to these difficulties by fostering excellent multi-disciplinary research that focuses on NZ’s particular energy problems to create new opportunities for NZ's economic transformation.

There are many possible pathways to a sustainable energy future. By supporting energy research quality, the NZERC will ensure that energy decisions in New Zealand will be informed by research of high international standing. The Centre will have three strategic aims: reducing transport carbon emissions, increasing renewable energy supply, and improving consumer energy efficiency. These primary research themes will be linked by cross-cutting themes including consumer behaviour, energy system modelling, policy and markets. This topic matrix will ensure that the synergistic features of energy-systems research are acknowledged and exploited; recognising that progress in any one field has the potential to redefine research opportunities in other fields. The multi-disciplinary theme structure is also essential for establishing an understanding of the economic, environmental and social impacts of different mixes of market, regulatory, technology and renewable-resource initiatives.

The NZERC will promote energy research excellence through the support of NZ’s leading energy researchers, and through the integration of their work to support the development of the NZ energy system as a whole.  The Centre’s commitment to productive relationships with business, government and other stakeholders will ensure that its research is relevant to the needs of all energy sectors: domestic, industrial, rural and business. In addition, through knowledge exchange with communities, educational organisations and iwi, the Centre will promote the learning essential for NZ’s timely transition to a sustainable energy future.