Editorial submitted by Engineers Australia Victoria Division Principal Partner, RMIT University.
Steven Kennedy was working in petroleum engineering when he decided to change tack and focus on clean energy engineering solutions.
Life as an electrician working in heavy industry took Kennedy to the North Sea where he worked on exploration and production platforms before returning to Australia.
Back home he worked with the Australian Government to establish the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority and later, helped to regulate the Victorian oil and gas, geothermal, and pipeline industries.
But it was a role on a major infrastructure project that provided the inspiration to go back to study.
“I was working on the Melbourne Metro Tunnel Project, assessing the feasibility of using shallow geothermal energy to heat and cool the five new railway stations,” Kennedy said.
“I really thought about how important energy is in our daily lives and began to understand that in the not too distant future, energy would need to come from sources that are sustainable over the long-term.
“It was then that I realised I wanted to be a part of this renewable energy revolution.”
Kennedy said without the right qualifications, it was difficult for him to simply transition into a different field of engineering.
“After some research I discovered that a postgraduate qualification would provide the skills I needed to get into this area.”
Kennedy is currently studying a Masters of Engineering (Sustainable Energy) at RMIT University.
RMIT Senior Lecturer, Dr Bahman Shabani said the qualification places students in a very competitive position to grab international and local jobs.
“As part of the program, students do a research project where they have the opportunity to focus on an area of interest, such as solar energy, wind energy, bioenergy, energy storage, energy efficiency and demand management, renewable energy government policy and more.” he said.
“Students also engage with energy storage technologies and study the social, environmental and economic context for sustainable energy.
“The impacts of climate change are beginning to be felt across the world and the demand for professionals working in this area is growing,” he said.
Kennedy agrees there has never been a better time to become qualified in the field of renewable energy.
“The Victorian Government has set ambitious but achievable renewable energy targets to transition the state to cleaner energy generation,” he said.
“Sustainability Victoria recently conducted a comprehensive study that found more than three quarters of Victorians would like to source 100 per cent of their electricity from renewable sources.”
“The technology that supports sustainable energy is not new, but what is new, is the attitude of the public towards cleaner sources.”
Story: Rebecca McGillivray, RMIT University
Image: courtesy of RMIT University
Image insert: Steven Kennedy is focused on renewable energy to ensure cleaner engineering practices, courtesy of RMIT University.