Origin Energy’s Mary Whyte was highly commended by the Australian Institute of Energy (AIE) in the Excellence in Energy Awards 2007, Young Achievers Award category. The awards aim to recognise and reward those individuals and organisations that have made an outstanding contribution to the energy sector in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.

What work have you been involved with at Origin that was recognised by the AIE?

I was recognised by the AIE for the Excellence in Energy Awards for my contribution to the development of market leading products including;

* Origin’s Australian Greenhouse Office accredited “GreenGas” - a fully offset natural gas product for residential customers. It was the first offset gas product of its type in the world * Origin’s Carbon Reduction Scheme - a framework that supports consumers – whether large corporations or the general community – to reduce their carbon footprint. I played a key role in developing the governance structure and rules to ensure the scheme was transparent and credible.

Have you always been interested in renewable energy?

Definitely! I grew up on a beach side farm on the south coast of New South Wales, so from a young age I developed a high level of consciousness about the impact human activity has on the surrounding environment. This lead to a natural questioning of how we all, as collective individuals, can reduce our impact – whether it be simple things such as switching your lights off when not in use to implementing a greenhouse reduction strategy at work.

One of the key reasons I studied Photovoltaics and Solar Energy Engineering at university was my desire to make a difference. Since working at Origin, I have seen how my work has already made a big difference to the way customers think about and consume energy.

What are you currently working on at Origin?

I am currently building and maintaining the performance of Origin’s Carbon Portfolio. This includes looking for and contracting new renewable energy and carbon reduction projects to ensure Origin meets its regulatory and voluntary commitments for various domestic and international schemes, such as the Mandatory Renewable Energy Target, NSW Greenhouse Gas Abatement Scheme and the Queensland 13 per cent Gas Scheme.

What, in your opinion, does the future hold for Australia’s solar industry? What about Australia’s clean energy industry in general?

I believe the future for the Australian Renewable Energy Industry, including solar, is looking brighter than ever. The recent commitment and emergence of feed-in tariffs is a huge win for the industry, as are the continued strengthening of the subsidies from state and federal governments. Continued support mechanisms will hopefully help deliver the necessary economies of scale to make solar an affordable option for more Australians.

What do you see as the greatest challenge facing Australia’s clean energy industry? How can this be overcome?

Energy efficiency poses a huge challenge. Getting this right at both the industry and household level will reduce a significant amount of Australia’s emissions.

Australia currently reports one of the highest levels of energy use per capita in the world, with the majority of that energy coming from highly emission intensive brown and black coal. Because this is so cheap, there is not much incentive for households or businesses to reduce their energy consumption or to look for ways to use energy more efficiently.

Implementing widespread energy efficiency programs would potentially offer huge benefits to the Australian energy industry. Additional distribution infrastructure could be reduced, and additional generation expenditure stemming from increasing peak demands could be diverted, energy needs would be reduced and ultimately greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced.

Education programs that promote the importance of energy efficiency as both cost effective and greenhouse gas reducing are key to transforming Australia’s attitude to energy consumption. This will play a key role in driving Australian’s towards more efficient, environmentally friendly and cost effective outcomes.

What steps are you taking to reduce your environmental footprint?

I buy GreenPower for my home and offset my car and air travel and gas use. I also recycle, buy locally (from fruit and vegies to clothing), and where possible use public transport or walk!