NEWS

Partnership with Macquarie Law School to drive research in Australia’s renewable energy transition

Spark Renewables is thrilled to announce that it has commenced a partnership with Macquarie University to drive research and participation in Australia’s renewable energy transition.

Our Chief Legal Officer Claire Dawson caught up with Macquarie University’s Dr. Madeline Taylor and legal intern Nischala McDonnell to discuss the partnership.

Dr. Madeline Taylor is the Director of Research Training at Macquarie Law School and a Senior Lecturer in Law at Macquarie University. Her research aims to create innovative legal models to facilitate the co-development of renewable energy and agricultural production through agrivoltaics.

Agrivoltaics involves combining solar energy production and agriculture on the same land, which provides benefits including a secondary income stream for farmers with renewable energy projects on their land.

Earlier this year, Dr. Taylor was awarded an Australian Research Council Early Career Industry Fellowship, creating a partnership between Spark Renewables, NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, and Macquarie University.

The three-year Fellowship will support research on the energy transition that responds to industry needs. This program will connect researchers, industry, and government to develop the best regulations for agrivoltaics, aiming to improve energy justice.

Nischala McDonnell, a PhD candidate at Macquarie Law School, completed her legal internship with Spark Renewables. We would like to thank Nischala for her contribution in running several projects, including exploring the application of ecovoltaics in Australia and engaging in communication support activities for the Dinawan Energy Hub development.

Read more about our partnership here.