Exploring beyond diesel - 1

James Jackson, NSW Farmers President

Charles Luo, Senior Energy Engineer
BEng(Hons)/BCom MIEAust NER  RPEQ  CMVP  CEES

Charles Luo is a Senior Energy Engineer with over 9 years’ experience in the renewable energy, energy storage, and energy efficiency industry.

Charles is highly skilled in both behind and in front of the meter energy optimisation and generation, especially in the agriculture sector. Over the past 24 months he has managed pitt&sherry’s delivery of energy assessments as part of the Victorian Agriculture Energy Investment Plan for over 150 farming businesses in Victoria; designed and assessed the effectiveness of load shifting through ice banks and solar systems for NSW dairy farms; and led the delivery of the AusVegVIC Energy Efficiency Capabilities Program that helped vegetable farmers with energy efficiency and reducing energy costs.

An astute analyst, Charles has more recently been integral in pitt&sherry’s development of energy and cost optimisation models for the production of green hydrogen using large scale solar and batteries as part of the system’s feasibility study.

Dr Neil Thompson, Queensland University of Technology

Dr Neil Thompson has undertaken award-winning research at QUT Australia and KIT Germany in his role as Adjunct Associate Professor with the Institute for Future Environments. His work in the field of integrated hydrogen energy systems for mining and agribusiness has been regularly published in the USA and Europe leading to his recent appointment as Managing Director of ITM Power Pty Ltd for the APAC region. Since then he has developed a number of local reference sites for ITM’s rapid response PEM electrolysers across the mobility, industrial chemistry and power to gas sectors in partnership with key international clients.

Jon Elder, Masters in Science, MBA and Karin Stark, Narromine

Jon Elder, a cotton grower in Central NSW, has invested in a 500kW solar diesel hybrid pumping system for irrigating his family's farm. Previous to this, he worked around Australia at prawn farms, in mining and in Government before heading to London and West Africa to work in exploration for Rio Tinto, in the area of Environment Health and Safety. He's a passionate advocate for solar irrigation.

Karin Stark (Jon's partner) international and professional history combines 18 years of engagement with communities around contemporary environmental issues. She founded the National Renewables in Agriculture Conference in 2019 and is Director of 'Farm Renewables Consulting'. She also works part time for ReAqua, with previous roles within the NSW State Government and in Landcare.

Paul van Ham

Charlie Prell, Farmers for Climate Action

Farmers for Climate Action is a movement of farmers, agricultural leaders and rural Australians working to ensure farmers are a key part of the solution to climate change.

Charlie Prell is a sheep farmer from Crookwell and one of four farmers under the Crookwell 2 windfarm. He is a trong public supporter of the benefits wind farms can bring to small regional communities. He worked as the NSW Regional Organiser for the Australian Wind Alliance from July 2012 until August 2019. He was part of the working group that formed "Farmers for Climate Action".