Welcome to Summer School
The Energy Centre’s Summer School takes place the week before the start of semester one each year, at the University of Auckland Business School and is gratefully supported by the Energy Education Trust of New Zealand.
The efficiencies of a reliable energy system are fundamental to economic growth and wellbeing in New Zealand. The Energy Centre invites you to join specialist commentators and academics to discuss these issues at Summer School in Energy Economics.
What is Summer School?
The Summer School programme focusses on key challenges facing New Zealand, including dependence on imported liquid fuels, transitioning to a low carbon economy, electrification of transport, renewable electricity, public transport and climate change.
Presentations cover New Zealand energy and global trends:
Government policy
Oil, gas, electricity and carbon markets
Energy resources including hydro, geothermal, fossil fuels, wind and solar
Patterns of energy demand
Energy conservation
Innovative technology such as electric vehicles and hydrogen
Who can attend?
The Summer School is offered at no cost to anyone studying or working in the energy sector who wants to get a more rigorous appreciation of the various aspects and challenges of energy in New Zealand. Applicants must be over 18 years of age. The three-day programme will be circulated to all those who register in due course.
There is a limit for in-person event of 80 participants allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Meals and coffee breaks will be catered for. A certificate of participation will be awarded to the attendees on request.
How to apply for Summer School
The next Summer School will be late February 2026.
If you would like to subscribe to our mailing list to receive our e-invites, please add your email address to our mailing list or send your details to energy@auckland.ac.nz
Programme Summer School 2025
Presentations Summer School 2025
Day One 17 February
Emilson Silva, Rogerio Mazali, Marcus San Pedro, Simon Tao and Guanghao Wang
Flexible industrial electricity demand in New Zealand: A transdisciplinary R&D proposal
Tina Schirr
Shaping tomorrow’s energy system
John Carnegie
The balancing act: Reflections on managing policy and complexity in the energy sector
Alan Eyes
The electricity market, regulatory framework, and decarbonisation – a consumer perspective
Joel Cook
Electricity transmission: Challenges and opportunities
Marcos Pelenur
Energy efficiency first – to help New Zealand save energy, money and reduce emissions
Josh Ellison
The electrification tipping point and what’s next
James Tipping
Orchestrating Aotearoa’s distributed energy resources to maximise whole-system value
Day Two 18 February
Diego Villalobos
How and why do we regulate energy networks?
John Campbell
Energy sharing in Aotearoa New Zealand stories from the frontline
Timara Linnoff
Electricity markets policy – Part 1: Econ 101 Part 2: How Government works
Kevin Hart
Unlocking the power of onshore and offshore wind energy in Aotearoa New Zealand
Peter Spencer
Parkwind: Offshore wind – the Norwegian vision and opportunity for New Zealand
Day Three 19 February
Tim Edmonds
Industrial demand side opportunities to accelerate the energy transition
Anthony Srzich
Is the electricity market transforming or transitioning?
Brent Rees
Role of innovation and technology in energy economics
Ben Anderson
The household energy end use project (2): An introduction to the data and preliminary results
Alessandro Premier
Smart solar urban furniture: Networked energy-positive infrastructure to increase the urban resilience of Auckland, New Zealand
Gareth Gretton
Household energy use: How much, when and what for; then, now, and in the future
Marcel Podstolski
Aotearoa’s future energy system: Power with the carbon?
Antonette Dimaano and Sean Buchanan
Modelling decarbonisation scenarios in LEAP
Emilson Silva, Zeya Zhang, Marcus San Pedro, Simon Tao
Residential electricity demand, energy hardship, and the unfortunate heat or eat tradeoff in New Zealand