Oral Presentation AMOS Annual Meeting and International Conference on Tropical Meteorology and Oceanography

Translating collaborative hydroclimate research into business operations (#94)

Johanna Speirs 1 2 , Hamish McGowan 2 , Nik Callow 3 , James Pirozzi 1 , Andrew Peace 1 , Suzanne Kenyon 1 , Shane Bilish 1 3
  1. Snowy Hydro Ltd, Sydney
  2. The University of Queensland, Brisbane
  3. University of Western Australia, Perth

Weather and climate events in southeast Australia affect renewable energy generation and business operations for energy generators in the National Energy Market. Snowy Hydro Ltd, Australia’s largest capacity renewable energy generator, draws on expertise from a weather & water science team to deliver specialised forecasting services and advice for water management and other business operations. Weather and climate information is integrated into operational decision making and strategic planning while improvement projects are sought through collaborative hydroclimate research with academia and government. Over the last decade, Snowy Hydro has invested ~$1m in hydroclimate research in an ongoing collaborative project, including 4 PhD and 3 Honours projects, shedding new light on the many weather and climate influences on the Australian alpine hydrological system. This presentation demonstrates how climate science can be translated into business operations and highlights the importance of collaborative relationships and knowledge brokering when connecting science to business and industry.