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Bjorn Sturmberg

Research Leader, Battery Storage & Grid Integration Program at The Australian National University, Australian National University
Dr Bjorn Sturmberg is a Research Leader in the Battery Storage and Grid Integration Program at The Australian National University, which is designing and implementing the building blocks of our future electricity system.

Dr Sturmberg holds a PhD in physics from The University of Sydney. His PhD work on nanostructures that improve the efficiency of solar cells was awarded a scholarship from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency. During this work he developed unique simulation software that he made available open source and that is now used in research groups internationally. He continued his passion for open source science in his postdoctoral appointment at Macquarie University, which delivered an open source package for studying the interaction of high power light waves with sound waves.

Dr Sturmberg is committed to improving energy equity. He spearheaded the multi-award winning Stucco Solar + Storage project, which, in an Australian first, transformed an apartment building into a highly self-sufficient microgrid with solar and storage, and slashed residents bills by over half. He subsequently received a Myer Innovation Fellowship and founded a social enterprise that unlocks solar for rental properties. He is a regular contributer to the public and policy energy discourses.

When transmission lines fell, 16 electric vehicles fed power into the grid

Jul 09, 2024 10:57 am UTC| Business Technology

Electric vehicles are an increasingly common sight on Australian roads. Each one cuts carbon emissions by half compared to fossil fuel vehicles, but increases household electricity use by 50%. This extra electricity...

Electricity prices are rising again. Here's how to ensure renters can cash-in on rooftop solar

May 26, 2023 14:49 pm UTC| Economy

Consumers struggling with cost-of-living pressures were dealt another blow on Thursday, when the Australian Energy Regulator confirmed energy price hikes of up to 25% from July. For the one in three Australian homes...

Climate Change Series

Good news – there's a clean energy gold rush under way

Sep 05, 2022 04:31 am UTC| Insights & Views

This week, the Australian Energy Market Operator warned gaps in electricity supply are likely within three years. The reason? Coal plants are quitting the market earlier than expected, as well as becoming less reliable....

Go local: how to keep the power on when disaster hits

Feb 10, 2020 23:51 pm UTC| Insights & Views Economy

Bushfires, storms and floods regularly leave thousands of Australian homes and businesses without power. Sydneys wettest weekend in three decades left more than 130,000 households without power on Sunday. South...

Economy

UAE's Largest Natural Gas Facility Suspended After Attack-Triggered Fire

Abu Dhabi authorities have temporarily halted operations at Habshan, the United Arab Emirates largest natural gas processing facility, following a devastating attack that triggered a major fire at the site. The incident...

Trump's FY2027 Budget: Major Defense Boost and Domestic Spending Cuts

President Donald Trump has unveiled a bold federal budget proposal for fiscal year 2027, signaling a dramatic realignment of national spending priorities. The plan centers on a significant expansion of military funding...

U.S. Warplane Shot Down by Iran Amid Escalating Middle East Conflict

A U.S. military aircraft was shot down by Iranian forces on Friday, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing five-week conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran. Both nations confirmed the incident, with...

U.S. Job Market Braces for Slow Recovery Amid Middle East Tensions and Economic Uncertainty

The U.S. labor market is expected to post modest gains in March, recovering from Februarys sharp drop of 92,000 jobs, but persistent headwinds are keeping economists cautious. A Reuters poll forecasts nonfarm payrolls...

Bank of Japan Eyes Further Rate Hikes Amid Middle East Tensions and Inflation Pressures

A senior Bank of Japan official reaffirmed the central banks commitment to continuing its interest rate hike cycle, while closely monitoring how the ongoing Middle East conflict is shaping Japans economic outlook and...

Politics

U.S. F-15E Shot Down Over Iran: One Crew Member Recovered Amid Escalating Conflict

A United States F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet has been shot down over Iranian territory, marking the first confirmed incident of its kind since the start of the nearly five-week conflict between the U.S., Israel, and...

Judge Blocks DOJ Subpoenas in Federal Reserve Investigation, Delaying Powell Succession

A federal judge in Washington, D.C. has once again ruled against the Justice Departments efforts to revive a criminal investigation targeting Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, dealing another significant blow to what...

Congo in Talks With Trump Administration to Accept Third-Country Deportees

The Democratic Republic of Congo is reportedly in discussions with the Trump administration about accepting deportees from third countries individuals who are not Congolese nationals but were living in the United States...

Russia's Easter Strikes Kill Multiple Civilians Across Ukraine

In a significant escalation of its ongoing war against Ukraine, Russia launched a massive daytime strike on Friday, killing at least six people across multiple regions, including Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Donetsk, and Kharkiv....

Iran Rejects U.S. Ceasefire Proposal Amid Ongoing Tensions

An unnamed source revealed to Irans semi-official Fars news agency on Friday that Tehran has turned down a ceasefire proposal put forward by the United States. According to the source, the offer was extended on Wednesday...

Science

NASA Artemis II: First Crewed Moon Mission Since Apollo Takes Four Astronauts on 10-Day Lunar Journey

NASAs Artemis II mission launched Wednesday, marking humanitys return to crewed lunar exploration for the first time since the Apollo era. Carrying four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, this historic 10-day mission...

NASA's Artemis II Mission: First Crewed Lunar Journey Since Apollo

NASA's Artemis II Crew Arrives in Florida for Historic Moon Mission

The four astronauts chosen for NASAs Artemis II mission have touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the beginning of final launch preparations for the first crewed lunar journey in over 50 years. NASA...

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

SpaceX Prioritizes Moon Mission Before Mars as Starship Development Accelerates

Elon Musks SpaceX is shifting its near-term space exploration strategy, choosing to prioritize a return to the Moon before pursuing missions to Mars, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report citing sources familiar...

Technology

Elon Musk Ties SpaceX IPO Access to Mandatory Grok AI Subscriptions

Elon Musk is reportedly making Grok subscriptions a prerequisite for banks and advisers involved in SpaceXs highly anticipated initial public offering. According to the New York Times, citing insiders familiar with the...

MATCH Act Targets ASML and Chinese Chipmakers in New U.S. Export Crackdown

A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers has unveiled the MATCH Act, a landmark piece of draft legislation designed to tighten export restrictions on advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment destined for China. The...

Microsoft's $10 Billion Japan Investment: AI Infrastructure and Data Sovereignty Push

Microsoft is set to pour approximately $10 billion into Japan between now and 2029, channeling funds into data center expansion and artificial intelligence infrastructure to meet the countrys growing demand for data...

Australia's Social Media Ban for Under-16s Sparks Global Movement

Australias landmark social media ban for users under 16, which took effect in December, is reshaping digital policy conversations worldwide. Countries including Spain and Malaysia have signaled interest in adopting similar...

SpaceX Eyes Historic IPO at $1.75 Trillion Valuation

Elon Musks aerospace giant SpaceX has quietly filed a confidential IPO registration with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, according to Bloomberg News sources familiar with the matter. The move signals that the...

Digital Currency