Help shape Australia’s energy future
Do you want to help energy become more reliable and less harmful to the environment, and support reduced energy costs for everyone?
We are helping to transform the energy system to better suit Australians now and into the future. By learning how Aussies want to use energy, we can support governments and industry to develop energy infrastructure and products that work for you.
To do that, we need you!
We are building a community of people across Australia to participate in energy research over several years. Your input will improve understanding of how Australians heat, cool and power their homes and even use their cars. You could get some free stuff too.
00:00:00:00 – 00:00:06:10
CSIRO introduction animation, music starts.
00:00:06:10 – 00:00:13:01
Woman in her living room, talking to someone off camera.
Sue: Hi. My name is Sue and I’m a participant in the National Energy Analysis Centre Living Lab.
00:00:13:01 – 00:00:23:01
Sue using her kettle, then turning on the air conditioner.
Sue: Well, I joined NEAC because, I’m interested in how I’m using energy within my home and how that affects the grid.
00:00:23:03 – 00:00:38:07
Sue talking.
Sue: And we’re going to renewables now. And so the grid is going to be affected by that. So we need to understand how we’re using power now, so that later on when the grid is more renewable than it is coal generated, we understand what we’re doing.
00:00:38:07 – 00:00:51:00
Sue and a man in a CSIRO jacket, looking inside Sue’s electricity meter box and talking.
Sue: It was easy. I didn’t have to do anything very much. They came out, they installed something quickly in my meter box, they gave me another little monitor. I downloaded a couple of apps and away I go. I can see all of my energy usage.
00:00:51:00 – 00:01:12:21
Sue’s phone with apps showing energy usage and comfort levels in her home.
Sue I’m hoping to be able to help researchers understand how the renewables affect the grid, as we transition across, and it might also make me decide whether or not I need a solar battery or whether I need a, you know, another ducted system in my home or whether I should go for a split system air conditioner.
00:01:12:23 – 00:01:39:23
Sue talking.
Sue: you know, it could actually influence my product choices into the future. I’m hoping that I can, give the researchers the information that they need to help them inform, make them make informed decisions about the way we use power in everyday homes, and that my data collectively with everybody else who’ll be in the trial, will assist them to understand power usage across Australia.
00:01:39:23 – 00:01:44:00
CSIRO outro animation and the words “Australia’s National Science Agency”, music finishes.
One of our first Living Lab participants, Sue, talks about why she joined.
About the Living Lab
The National Energy Analysis Centre by CSIRO brings all kinds of energy data, including consumer data and infrastructure data, together to help policy makers and industry develop energy solutions that minimise energy bills and keep the lights on.
The Living Lab is part of CSIRO’s National Energy Analysis Centre, providing information about what works best for Australian households. With your help, we can answer questions like:
- what sort of energy use incentives do Aussies appreciate?
- What sort of energy-saving devices work well in the home?
- How can the energy transition work for everyone, not just people who can afford a solar and battery system?
So we want to hear from you. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a homeowner or a renter, or whether you live in an apartment in the city or a farmhouse in rural Australia.
Your privacy is top priority. All data is anonymised, and we won’t share your personal details with anyone.
The sorts of things you might do in the Living Lab
Share your electricity / gas meter data so that we can develop a more detailed picture of how Australians use energy.
Take part in surveys and polls to help us understand what Australians prefer and what that means for our energy system.
Trial energy saving devices or appliances.
Learn about ways to reduce your energy bills.
How it works
- You express interest. This takes about a minute
- We invite you to sign up, and you sign up to the Living Lab. It takes about 15 minutes.
- We may ask you for more information about your house, appliances and vehicles so that we can send you offers to participate in research trials that are relevant to you. For example, we currently have the Scenarios for Future Living research project open
- You participate in surveys and polls to help policy makers and energy providers understand what energy future would work best for people like you.
- We send you offers to participate in research trials, and you opt in if you are interested.
Frequently asked questions
Open allClose allBy anonymously sharing your views and your energy data, you will help scientists, regulators and industry better understand energy use to plan for a more resilient, cleaner, cheaper and more equitable energy future.
By participating in research trials, you may help with things like:
- trialling an energy efficient product
- helping an energy provider to understand what sort of electricity pricing mechanisms work best for people like you
- describing how apartment dwellers want to access EV charging infrastructure
Signing up only takes about 15 minutes. There will then be a longer survey to find out more about your home, appliances etc.
If we offer to install some energy monitoring devices in your home, then an installer would need to arrange a time with you. Once you are all set up in the Living Lab, how much you participate is completely up to you. If you opt in to a trial, the requirements of the trial will be explained at the time. When you’re not in any research trials, there are surveys, polls and discussions that you can participate in if you want to.
If your planned move is more than a year away, please register your interest but let us know about your plans. If your planned move is less than a year away, please wait and register your interest after you move into your new place.
You can join the Living Lab and start sharing your energy data and your views without contacting your landlord or their agent first. However, if we offer to install energy monitoring devices in your home, we request that you obtain approval from your landlord.
From our experience with similar projects, the landlord/real estate agents’ primary concern is the potential risk of damage to the property. To address this, CSIRO is committed to ensuring that the research does not cause any adverse effects for participants or landlords and can speak with your real estate agent to explain.
Yes! If we offer and you agree to have energy monitoring devices in your home, you will be able to download and log into apps to view your data.
If we offer and you agree to have energy monitoring devices in your home, a qualified electrician will install the energy monitoring devices. They will schedule an appointment with you at a convenient time. A CSIRO representative will be available to assist over the phone.
CSIRO takes the trust Australians place in our research very seriously. To ensure your privacy, the data we collect about you is de-identified and securely stored separately from your contact information against a pseudonym (e.g. Household 1, Household 2), making it impossible to trace the information back to you or your home.
Your personal information is protected by the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (Privacy Act) and CSIRO will handle your personal information in accordance with this Act. CSIRO may disclose your personal information to third parties including Wattwatchers and Tether for the purposes of arranging installation of the energy and IEQ monitoring. But your data will not be logged against these details and will be stored against your unique pseudonym (e.g. Household 1) only.
Your contact details will be used to communicate with you throughout a trial and organise periodic surveys and interviews. As a Living Lab participant, we may invite you to participate in new research trials and offers relating to energy technology. These trials may be subject to a separate consent process.
Findings may be published in case studies, reports, scientific journals or presented at conferences and shared with industry and policy makers. In any publication or presentation, information will be provided in such a way that you cannot be identified. Copies of the research findings will be available upon request. For further information on how CSIRO handles your personal information and our access, correction and complaints process, please read our available on our website or by contacting us at privacy@csiro.au.