Dr Bin Lu
Senior Research Fellow, Australian National University
👉 About Me
📧 DrBinLu@gmail.com ·
@DrBinLu ·
linkedin.com/in/drbinlu ·
🌐 www.drbinlu.com
Latest Posts on X
Excited to share our new ANU-HILT CRC study, “Decarbonising heavy industry operations with low-cost onsite photovoltaics and battery storage”, now published in Solar Energy.
This research shows how smarter integration of solar and batteries can help substantially cut industrial electricity costs and emissions.
Key findings:
1. Green electricity based on onsite solar and batteries can support 24/7 continuous industry operations and help cut carbon emissions by 35%–87%.
2. Electricity costs range from $90–$157/MWh at current technology costs to $71–$92/MWh under long-term cost projections.
3. Interactions with the grid could help lower electricity costs by 23%–42%, compared to off-grid systems.
4. Load flexibility through optimised system configurations could further reduce electricity costs to less than one-third of natural gas power.
ANU media release: https://reporter.anu.edu.au/all-stories/new-study-charts-smarter-path-to-24-7-renewable-power-for-heavy-industry
Full article: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0038092X25008679
Our new op-ed is now live in The Canberra Times!
Australia is a global leader in solar R&D and deployment (>1.5 kW per capita).
With ultra-low-cost solar, we can turn sunlight into jet fuel at scale — cutting emissions and powering new industries.
Full article here: http://drbinlu.com/jetfuel
It was a real pleasure to speak with engineering students (our future engineers!) about energy storage — the backbone of our clean energy future.
Here are the main points I shared:
1. Diverse storage technologies. Mechanical, electrochemical, chemical, thermal, electromagnetic — each with unique strengths and trade-offs.
2. Wide storage applications. From fast responses (inertia, frequency, voltage, ramping, black start, power quality) to sustained support (arbitrage, congestion relief, investment deferral, time-of-use, resilience).
3. System integration: no silver bullet. A 100% renewable energy future will build on a portfolio of storage solutions to bridge variable renewables with stable power supply.
Energy storage is booming — a global hotspot in both R&D and markets!
Slides: drbinlu.com/energystorage
🔬 Research Highlights
ANU-HILT CRC study charts smarter path to 24/7 renewable power for heavy industry.
Plug in. Heat up. Your city becomes a giant battery.
FIRM = Flexible. Integrated. Responsive. Massive. — unlocking system-wide flexibility for grid stability.
Exploring the feasibility and benefits of a fully renewable power system across ASEAN.
Techno-economic modelling of Australia's pathways to net-zero emissions.
Analysed high-renewable electricity scenarios for the SWIS.
Developed STORES: a global tool for identifying high-potential pumped hydro sites.
📰 In the News
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📬 Contact
📧 Email: DrBinLu@gmail.com
X (Twitter): @DrBinLu
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/drbinlu
🌐 Website: www.drbinlu.com
📍 Location: Canberra, Australia