Centre for Renewable Energy and Power Systems

Helping the power industry meet the challenges of the 21st Century.

About

The Centre for Renewable Energy and Power Systems (CREPS) is a world-class research centre, specialising in the fields of renewable energy and enabling technologies. CREPS aims to enhance both fundamental and applied research in power and energy systems in Australia, through its experienced and multidisciplinary researcher team.

Our people Contact us School of Engineering

Group inspecting rooftop solar panels on engineering building,  recreation grounds and river Derwent in the background.

Research programs

CREPS supports world-leading research with local and global partners across four program areas: electrical power, energy systems, sustainable and emerging technologies and renewable energy, enabling and storage technologies.

This program focuses on diverse and challenging problems facing the electric power industry in the 21st century. The Centre is especially interested in technical problems associated with integration of distributed generation, renewable generation and storage into existing power networks, hybrid remote area power supply systems, network operation and security control, load modelling, smart grids, and intelligent systems applications to power systems.

Contact: Michael.Negnevitsky@utas.edu.au

This program focuses on optimising the efficiency of energy transfer and conversion. Research areas include turbomachinery, energy storage and energy transport in mechanical forms, such as water, heat and compressed air. Turbomachinery research includes energy generation using air and water turbines. Energy storage techniques are investigated to provide stability and ability to deliver base load generation to renewable generation systems. The Centre is also interested in efficient use of energy in cogeneration or combined heat and power systems

Contact: Alan.Henderson@utas.edu.au

This program aims at addressing the technical challenge in the application of low grade energy resources including geothermal energy, solar thermal, waste energy and coal-seam gas through a new multidisciplinary fundamental science based approach. The centre is interested in technical problems related to heat pump technology, desalination, low grade energy power generation, energy conversion among three forms: thermal, cooling and electricity, energy storage in gas, thermal and electric forms, and energy efficiency in building, cooling, power systems and cold-chain technology.

Contact: Xiaolin.Wang@utas.edu.au

This program focuses on the role of renewable energy and distributed energy resources. Distributed energy resources such as photovoltaic generation, battery storage systems, electric vehicles and flexible loads are becoming increasingly commonplace in energy systems. The Centre is focused largely on the impacts of distributed energy resources, and on developing technologies and coordination strategies that not only enable this deployment but that can also facilitate the integration of increasing levels of renewables into the power system.

Contact: Evan.Franklin@utas.edu.au

  • Blue Economy CRC - Modelling and operation of a hydrogen microgrid with 700 kW electrolyser (2023-2025), $477,909
  • Blue Economy CRC - DC microgrids for offshore applications (2020-2024), $580,000
  • CSIRO - Solar powered direct air capture (2023-2024), $24,144
  • US Office of Naval Research Global - Realization of an Energy Magazine via Supply Side Sequencing (2022-2024), 271,936
  • ARC Training Centre in Energy Technologies for Future Grids (2022-2026), $9,858,457

Our facilities

CREPS has access to several onsite laboratory facilities including purpose-built renewable energy, microgrid and power laboratories.

our Facilities

Isolated Power Systems Connect

Our flagship annual event, Isolated Power Systems Connect, is a utility and independent power producer forum that facilitates knowledge sharing across operational remote area power systems.

IPS Connect

ARC Training Centre in Energy Technologies for Future Grids

This Training Centre helps to equip the next generation of electrical power engineers with the skills and knowledge needed to move Australia towards a transformed, climate-friendly era of energy supply.

ARC Training Centre