Is Australia leading the world in renewable energy, or falling behind in climate policy?

In this powerful episode of The GREENROOM Podcast, we sit down with Wayne Smith, renewable energy strategist, former political advisor, climate advocate, and long-time leader in Australia’s clean energy transition.

From working alongside Anthony Albanese and Peter Garrett to shaping national conversations around renewable energy targets, battery storage, solar policy, and Australia’s emissions trajectory, Wayne brings rare insight into how energy policy is actually made, and what’s at stake.

This is a deep dive into:

⚡ Australia’s path to 82% renewable energy
🔋 The explosive growth of home battery storage
🏛 Climate change policy inside Parliament House
🌏 COP climate negotiations & the Pacific’s renewable future
🏭 “Future Made in Australia” and solar manufacturing
⛽ Why gas is overstated in Australia’s energy mix
📈 The economics driving rooftop solar & VPP adoption
🤖 AI, grid stability, and the future of energy infrastructure

We unpack the Renewable Energy Target (RET), solar feed-in tariffs, virtual power plants (VPPs), grid reform, battery rebates, and the political realities behind Australia’s transition from coal and gas to clean energy.

Wayne also shares insights from international renewable energy developments, EV manufacturing in China, and what Australia must do to remain competitive in the global clean energy race.

If you care about:

Renewable energy policy in Australia
Solar power and battery storage
Climate change solutions
Energy security & grid stability
Gas vs renewables debate
Clean tech manufacturing
Electric vehicles & VPPs
COP climate negotiations
Future Made in Australia

…this episode delivers clarity without the spin.

The renewable energy transition isn’t theoretical anymore. It’s happening fast.
The question is whether policy, infrastructure, and leadership can keep up.

🎧 Watch now and join the conversation on Australia’s clean energy future.

The GREENROOM podcast is joined by Darren Johannesen - Executive General Manager of Sustainability from the Smart Energy Council, for a grounded and wide-ranging conversation on the future of renewable energy, climate responsibility, and the real challenges facing Australia’s clean energy transition.

Darren brings a rare mix of strategic foresight, policy experience, and systems thinking, cutting through surface-level climate talk to explore what actually matters: circular economy principles, solar panel recycling, materials recovery, energy infrastructure, and how renewables intersect with biodiversity and long-term sustainability.

It's an honest discussion about where the renewable energy sector is doing well, where it’s falling short, and what needs to change if we’re serious about climate action - not just targets on paper.

If you work in renewables, energy policy, sustainability, solar, batteries, recycling, or climate advocacy, or if you simply care about the direction our energy systems are heading, this conversation will give you clarity and context.

Topics covered include:

The role of the Smart Energy Council in Australia’s energy transition
Solar panel and battery recycling realities
Circular economy vs real-world logistics
Climate change impacts beyond temperature headlines
Why materials, supply chains, and stewardship matter
Long-term thinking in renewable energy policy

Welcome to one of the most technically satisfying renewable energy podcasts you’ll hear this year.

In this episode of the GREENROOM, we sit down with Gareth Thomas, Application Engineer at DPA Solar, to dive deep into the world of batteries, off-grid power systems, inverter technology, and emerging storage chemistries.

If you’re an electrician, solar installer, engineer, energy geek, or someone who genuinely gets excited by the words MPPT curve… buckle up!!

⚡ Topics Covered in This Episode

✅ How batteries actually work (beyond the marketing fluff)
✅ Lithium Iron Phosphate vs NMC — real-world stability and safety
✅ Why “100% Depth of Discharge” is basically a trap
✅ Off-grid design: AC coupling vs DC coupling — what’s optimal?
✅ Victron, Selectronic, Fronius, and the reality of installer support
✅ Caravan solar systems and why everyone suddenly wants a 3000W inverter
✅ The rise of sodium-ion batteries and why they may change everything
✅ Voltage windows, thermal runaway, dendrites (yes, it gets spicy)
✅ The future of mid-scale C&I energy storage, demand shaving & grid support

🔥 Why This One’s Different

This isn’t surface-level “solar is good” talk.
Real engineering conversation, the stuff you hear in back rooms at wholesaler trainings, on commissioning days, or when someone’s inverter won’t start in the middle of nowhere.

Gareth brings decades of hands-on experience across:

Off-grid solar design
Battery retail and diagnostics
Inverter commissioning
Renewable industry training
Emerging storage technologies

🎧 Perfect For:

🔹 Solar Installers
🔹 Electrical Engineers
🔹 Battery Storage Professionals
🔹 Off-grid system designers
🔹 Renewable energy students