Demand Side Finally Gets Mainstream Attention with Tony Arnel
About this episode
Tony Arnel discusses the evolution of demand-side management and its implications for energy efficiency and building standards in Australia.
Dr. Greg Trainor and Neil Belford speak with Tony Arnel, Professor and former Deputy Chair of Forest and Wood Products Australia, and past President of the Energy Efficiency Council. Tony explains how demand-side management evolved from "not sexy at all" to mainstream conversation over 17 years, shaped by the Council's advocacy for stronger building standards, appliance ratings, and electrification pathways. He reveals the elephant in the room: millions of existing buildings built before performance standards existed, and why Australia still lags European minimum standards despite moving from four to seven-star housing ratings. The conversation shifts to forestry's surprising role in the energy transition—Australia is a net importer of timber despite vast forests, and timber buildings from cross-laminated structures to 45-story towers like Sydney's Atlassian building offer carbon sequestration advantages while improving indoor air quality and occupant wellbeing.
More episodes of Wired for Energy
- The Human Side of Energy with Prof. Yolande Strengers
- Building 110 Gigawatts Of Green Hydrogen with Warner Priest
- Australia's Energy Research Investment Crisis with Dani Alexander
- 2025: Year in Review and Themes for 2026
- Inside EnergyLab: Accelerating Climate Tech from Startup to Scale with Megan Fisher, Thomas Nann and Nick Hazell
- Building NRN's Solar Solution with Alan Hunter and Jess Padman
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Wired for Energy podcast page.