Energy Ponds—A New Lens on Local Energy Futures

The Electrification & Energy Systems Network (EESN), in partnership with the Pearcey Foundation and hosted by the University of Wollongong (UOW), recently convened a focused roundtable to explore the future of residential energy systems and the enabling role of digital innovation. 

The event brought together a diverse and well-represented group of participants from business, government, and academia. The discussions centered on the opportunities and challenges in advancing localised energy solutions, with a particular focus on the concept of local energy ponds—a term introduced by Prof. Ty Christopher, Director of the Energy Futures Network at UOW and EESN partner, to describe community-scale energy ecosystems designed to locally generate, store, and share energy. 

There was strong cross-sector interest in the potential of these systems to support energy resilience, affordability, and decarbonisation. However, participants also acknowledged the significant barriers to adoption, particularly around system interoperability and data sharing. 

In response, a dedicated sub-group has been formed to begin developing a guideline for information protocols. This initiative aims to support interoperability between systems and devices within the residential energy ecosystem—an essential step toward enabling smarter, more connected energy communities. 

This event exemplifies the EESN’s mission to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and practical outcomes that support NSW’s energy transition. The network looks forward to continuing this work with its partners and welcomes further engagement from stakeholders across the sector. 

We would like to take this opportunity to thank our partners, University of Wollongong and the Pearcey Foundation for making this a successful event, exploring a relatively new and undefined area of the energy economy. 

To stay informed about future discussions and opportunities, sign up for the EESN newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn. 

🔗 About EESN

The Electrification & Energy Systems Network (EESN) is part of the NSW Decarb Hub, based at UNSW. We bring together researchers, industry, and policymakers to accelerate the transition to a decarbonised energy future through research, collaboration, knowledge exchange, and strategic engagement. 

🤝 Get Involved

We’re always keen to connect with anyone working across electrification, energy systems, and decarbonisation — whether you’re advancing research, developing solutions, shaping policy, driving business innovation, or navigating regulatory frameworks. 

We also recognise that the energy transition is as much a social and institutional transformation as it is a technical one. If you’re working at the intersection of energy, society, policy, or markets — we’d love to hear from you.