Alumni & Industry
At ºÚÁÏÍø´óÊÂ¼Ç School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering (SPREE), our graduates have shaped the global solar industry, which today is worth more than $50 billion. Our alumni work across every sector of the renewable energy field, from government consultation to private sector investment, planning, large-scale infrastructure development and implementation, to data analytics startups. They are also employed at some of the biggest companies operating across the globe, from Tesla to AECOM.
As the renewables sector continues to grow, so do the opportunities for partnering with us to further our ties to industry and to connect our very best graduates with the opportunities they are qualified for and passionate to pursue. Discover how you can engage with us and become a partner for research commercialisation — we’d love to hear from you.
Alumni & giving
Our strength is our people and our alumni will always be part of the engineering community at ºÚÁÏÍø´óʼÇ. They carve out remarkable careers that effect real change in the world. We regularly undertake exciting partnerships and collaborate with our alumni and make significant contributions to the engineering community.
Keep in touch
Our school welcomes and values a strong, ongoing relationship with our alumni. We encourage our graduates to stay connected to a network of like-minded professionals through our events, social media and volunteer opportunities.
Industry Advisory Board
Ìý
Oliver Hartley, Chair
Managing Director, Bright Dimension Pty Ltd
Qualifications and Memberships:
- PhD
- MBA
- GAICD
- Adjunct Prof.Ìý
- Member of AICD
Areas of Expertise:
- Solar energy
- Energy transition
- M&A
- R&D
- Start-ups
Biography:
Oliver has over 25 years’ experience in the renewable energy industry and is the managing director of Bright Dimension, a consultancy company supporting the transition to the clean energy future. In 2021, his company Epho Pty Ltd, one of Australia’s largest commercial and industrial solar company, was acquired by AGL. Prior to Epho, Oliver worked in management roles across solar cell research and manufacturing, as well as M&A in the solar industry in Australia, Germany and the UK.Ìý
Christian Bindel
Energy Sector Lead, Mott MacDonald
Areas of Expertise:
- Renewable Energy Projects and Technology Expert
- Photovoltaic & BESS
Biography:
Christian is an accomplished Electrical Engineer with over 20 years in the utility-scale renewable energy industry. He has consistently demonstrated his ability to lead the development, design, and construction of large-scale solar farms and energy storage projects. Christian's expertise spans project management, contract negotiations, risk allocation, and procurement strategy. Working with leading energy companies his focus has become the development, design, and construction of large utility scale solar farms, energy storage technology and the integration of renewable energy into the electricity network.Ìý
Christian is passionate about guiding contract negotiations towards adequate risk allocation between all parties and streamlining projects for delivery on time and on budget. Christian’s key skills lie in designing solid electrical engineering solutions, driving cutting edge technological improvements, developing strategies for innovative energy supply concepts as well as leading and inspiring teams to deliver excellence in all work areas.
Linda Koschier
Head of Entrepreneurship, ºÚÁÏÍø´óÊÂ¼Ç Engineering
Qualifications and Memberships:
- PhD Electrical Engineering
- MBA
- GAICD
- Member APVI
- Fellow - Australian Institute of Energy & Member Smart Energy Council
Areas of Expertise:
- Photovoltaics
- Energy
- Entrepreneurship
Biography:
Linda Koschier is the Head of Entrepreneurship at ºÚÁÏÍø´óʼǒs Faculty of Engineering, bringing over 20 years of expertise in the energy industry across the entire value chain.
She has held leadership roles in both established corporations and startups, including Managing Director of Ideematec Australia, Head of Corporate Partnerships at Energy Lab, and Head of Partnerships at Origin Energy. Previously, she served as Director of Strategic Development at ºÚÁÏÍø´óʼǒs renowned Solar Research Group, alongside various roles in startups across the US and Australia.
Linda is a Director of the Australian Photovoltaic Institute, represents Australia as the Task 1 member on the IEA PVPS committee, and sits on the advisory boards of several companies.
She holds a PhD in Electrical Engineering from ºÚÁÏÍø´óʼǒs Solar Research Group, an MBA from the AGSM, and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Alistair Sproul
Staff Profile:
Anna Bruce
Staff Profile:
Industry
There are many ways to engage with SPREE’s extensive expertise. Explore how we’re connected to the local and global engineering community and discover how you can be a part of the next wave of change.
Research
Our school is home to many one-of-a-kind lab facilities where some of the best silicon solar cells in the world have been devised and manufacturing techniques revolutionised. Cell efficiency records are frequently broken in our labs and our cutting-edge research continues to shape the energy technologies of the future.
If there’s an area of our work you would like to know more about, you can connect with an academic or commission for further research. We’re always looking for new collaboration partners to connect with as we continue to remake the world. Let’s work together.
Partnerships
We produce some of the world’s top Engineers, and we also develop innovative products and systems that challenge the way things are done. Explore our industry partnerships and read about our most recent achievements.
Industrial training
ºÚÁÏÍø´óÊÂ¼Ç Engineering students are required to undertake 60 days of industrial training. This is a great opportunity for employers to engage with potential future employees and to mentor the next generation of engineers.