Dr Veryan Patterson Hann is a University Research Associate (2020-2023) with research interests in renewable energy policy at the School of Social Sciences, in the College of Arts, Law and Education. Areas of policy research interest include energy equity and consumers, virtual power plants, IoT and distributed renewable energy.

Biography

Alongside the honorary role at the University of Tasmania, Veryan is a policy analyst in renewable energy policy at Renewables, Climate, Future Industries Tasmania, with the Tasmanian Government.

Veryan is regularly invited to review research papers and has reviewed for the following journals: Applied Sciences, Technology Analysis and Strategic Management, Energies, Businesses, Administrative Sciences, and Sustainability. She is also on the Review Board of the journal Sustainability. Prior to her current work in government, Veryan was a doctoral candidate (2016-2019) with the School of Social Sciences and a recipient of a scholarship from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and the commonwealth government to study a smart grid pilot on Bruny Island, Tasmania (CONSORT: 2016-2019). Veryan submitted her thesis in December 2019 and was awarded her PhD in 2020.

Prior to this, Veryan worked in industry (notably BHP) and was a geologist before undertaking postgraduate courses in climate science and policy, and later, energy policy. Veryan brings a depth of understanding and experience of industry, science and technology policy to the complex issues of renewable energy policy.

Dr Patterson Hann has also worked in consultancy; and has contributed as a Lead Country Contributor for Australia between 2016-2021 on the Global Status Report on Renewable Energy for REN21 which is governed by the UN Environment Programme.

Career summary

Qualifications

• PhD, University of Tasmania, Australia, 2020. Thesis: An Australian smart grid pilot: Governance, implementation, and the utility-prosumer interaction
• MPP, University of Tasmania, Australia, 2015. Thesis: The Democratisation of Energy: Electricity Decentralisation and Energy Equity Policy Opportunities for Enhancing Democratisation in a Transforming Electricity Sector.
• PGDip. Energy & Env (Sustainability), Murdoch University, Australia, 2014.
• BSc (Hons), University of Tasmania, Australia, 1999. Thesis: The Geochemistry and Textures of the Grevillea Gossan, Northwest Queensland.

Memberships

Professional practice

• Member of the Australian Institute of Energy.
• Country Contributor to REN21 (Renewables Global Status Report) 2016-2021.
• Member of the Review Board for Sustainability (Journal).

Teaching

Teaching expertise

Presented seminars and graded Masters’ assessments in the following units (2017-2019): Policy Development; Policy Implementation & Evaluation; and Challenges to Governance

Research Invitations

• Invited to the Energy Consumers Australia Foresighting Forum 2019 as a PhD/ERC Consumer Advocate, Sydney.
• Invited to the International Sustainable Transitions conference (IST2019), 2019, Ottawa, Canada.
• Invited to the 4th International Conference on Public Policy (ICPP4), 2019, Montreal, Canada.
• Presented on a panel at Australian Utility Week, Melbourne, 2018.
• Presented a research paper at the international 4S conference, Sydney, 2018.
• Invited to the British Institute of Energy Economics conference ‘Consumers at the Heart of the Energy System?’ at the Blavatnik School of Government, Oxford, 2018.
• Presented PhD research to NCCARF, UNSW, Sydney 2017.