About Us

Who we are

GEER is Australia’s peak research body on residential energy efficiency. GEER was originally established in 2016 to develop and deliver energy efficiency research and undertake on-the-ground projects. GEER is made up of members from research, industry and government backgrounds located across all regions in Australia. Through their research and collaborative efforts with the government, not-for-profit and energy sectors, GEER offers a unique collective ‘Knowledge Trust’ that can view a challenge or issue through a multi-discipline lens. We can undertake projects and research tailored to each client, matching your needs with your ideal research or technical partner. We also have policy experts on the team.

Our Purpose

GEER members have one thing in common: to advance the outcomes for Australian residents when it comes to energy efficiency in the home. In particular, we share a passion to help those who are most in need. We seek ways to support householders experiencing vulnerability, so they can maintain the energy they need to run their homes, stay warm in winter, cool in summer and keep the lights on. We are concerned with the health, wellbeing and quality of life for Australian householders who find it difficult to pay energy bills, negotiate a better deal, and receive even the most basic of energy needs.

Our Aim

Our aim is to:

Improve energy-related wellbeing in households and communities through collaborative research.
Reduce the impact of energy costs on low-income households.
Reduce energy-related disadvantage.
Address issues in high-rise, vertical living.
Uncover mutually beneficial solutions for the energy sector and disadvantaged customers that improve people’s lives and their ability to afford and use energy.
Work with government bodies to improve energy policy and regulation.
Collaborate with government, industry and NGOs to roll out and evaluate the impact of future energy programs.

Our Expertise

Research and activities carried out by GEER primarily focus on energy efficiency as they relate to:

The quality of life of vulnerable and disadvantaged members of the community
The affordability of energy in the home
Environmental sustainability

Our collaborative approach to research provides multi-disciplinary depth. Our members are spread across the country allowing us to conduct local or nationwide research (breadth).

Key Roles & Functions

GEER is established for the purpose of sustaining research and projects in the field of energy efficiency in Australia. Members of GEER come from across Australia, from universities and various other research entities, and from industry (government and not-for-profit organisations).

Importantly, GEER provides ongoing research collaboration and best prac-tice services with a view to supporting consumers experiencing energy relat-ed vulnerability. It seeks to develop innovative solutions that create self-sustaining households and commun-ities facilitating improvement in energy efficiency.

Supporting People Experiencing Vulnerability

In particular, all GEER members have significant experience working with vulnerable groups of people, and to access those groups who are invariably difficult to reach and engage.

Engaging Diverse Groups

GEER members are experienced in working with a diverse group of target populations, including vulnerable groups such as:

Low income households
Aboriginal communities
CALD groups
The youth
The elderly

Evaluating Impacts

& Outcomes

GEER's researchers and industry members have gained vast experience in evaluating programs, projects and policies in terms of social and environmental well-being

GEER Members

Members are immersed in diverse

areas such as:

Human Geography
Psychology
Sociology
Social Marketing
Engineering
Building Sciences
Business
Econometrics
Health

Broad Research Scope

GEER members have worked on projects at a variety of scales, drawing upon both quantitative

and qualitative research designs and analyses. GEER members have the experience and capacity to design and conduct the most appropriate research and evaluation tailored to clients' needs for any given project.

Multi-Disciplinary & Insight Driven

GEER comprises an interdisciplinary team of researchers and industry members across social and physical sciences who have gained expertise working in the field of energy efficiency.

This allows for a large pool of members to develop projects and research efforts tailored to each client's needs and allows multi-component projects which are insight driven and drawn from both social and technical perspectives.

GEER Steering Committee

GEER is governed by a Steering Committee made up of four founding researchers, who were elected by the GEER members on 30th June 2016.

Governance of GEER

Dr Rowan E. Bedggood

Founder of GEER Australia

Chair, Steering Committee

Swinburne University of Technology

Rowan has experience working on numerous research areas involving social and environmental well-being. In particular, she has worked with Aboriginal communities and corporations to support them in achieving positive outcomes socially and economically. She has also worked on developing and refining social and environmental impact assessment tools and in supporting low income households to improve their well-being, particularly in the area of home energy use.

Research Areas

Social Marketing: behaviour change of people and organisations related to health, well-being, economic independence, sustainability, and other areas of social improvement.
Energy Efficiency: improving energy efficiency particularly for low-income households.
Indigenous Peoples and Social Justice: improving the wellbeing and future outcomes of Indigenous Australians.
Consumer Attitudes: determining a range of consumer preferences and attitudes with respect to social and environmental issues.
Corporate Social Responsibility: investigating the factors that favourably influence organisations to increase their social and environmental responsibility.

Recent Projects

“Building Social Resilience: Piloting a new way to improve the well-being of people experiencing marginalisation”
“Driving Change: Identifying what Caused Low-Income Consumers to Change Behaviour”
“Delving into the Co-Benefits Identified in the Low-Income Energy Efficiency Reports”
LIEEP: “Koorie Energy Efficiency Project”
“Supporting the Economic Development of Remote Aboriginal Communities”

Future Research Interests:

Exploring the nexus between home energy use, health and well-being
Investigating the ways of improving the lived experience of people experiencing vulnerability
Designing, implementing and evaluating disruptive practices that bring out improved social outcomes”

Michael Abrose

Steering Committee Member

Research Areas:

Residential energy monitoring and data analysis.
Analysis and visualisation of NatHERS energy efficiency data for all new residential houses and apartments in Australia.
Life cycle analysis of residential energy use.

Recent Projects:

Assessing data gathered as part of the Low Income Energy Efficiency Project that was done in collaboration with the South East Councils Climate Change Alliance.
Investigation into air infiltration rates of newly constructed houses across Australia.
Investigated the actual energy performance of 420 homes that were subject to the energy efficiency requirements of the BCA.
Australian Zero Emission House project.

Future Research Interests re Energy Efficiency:

Human behaviour in energy efficiency use
Health linkage to building energy efficiency
Whole of house climatic testing to validate modelling assumptions, product testing and verification, human behaviour analysis.

Prof. Rebekah Russell-Bennett

Steering Committee Member

Research Areas

Social marketing and services marketing across a range of sectors including energy, health and education.
She has more than 150 peer reviewed articles.

Recent Projects

“Reduce Your Juice: Social Marketing Digital Program for Low-Income Earners Energy Reduction” as part of the Federal Government’s national LIEEP program.
“Hugging, nudging, shoving and smacking behaviour change in electricity use”.
“Understanding the changing needs of residential energy consumers in the information age and the implications for tariff reform”.

Future Research Interests

Technology and electricity use particularly gamification, apps, websites as well as augmented reality and emerging technologies.
Pricing and adoption of tariff reform
Innovation in the delivery of energy and energy services/products to different types of households
Consumer reactions to electricity services and products

Strategic Members

GEER members are comprised of researchers and industry partners in Australia who are interested in pursuing meaningful projects aimed at enhancing the energy efficiency, quality of life, and health and well-being of Australian households.

GEER comprises Strategic and General Members. Strategic Members are actively involved in running GEER and making key decisions. General Members reflect the depth of GEER and are connected but less involved in the day to day running. GEER membership is limited to around 50 people. The Steering Committee are all Strategic Members. For more information about becoming a GEER member, click here

Strategic members are mostly academics working at an Australian university. Hence, our academic members tend to have:

a PhD
high expertise in their chosen field of research
extensive experience in conducting research projects and designing and implementing education programs
published nationally and internationally
access to university resources including other national and international researchers, libraries, analysis programs and support personnel.

CSIRO (Land and Water)

Read bio

Michael Ambrose

Becoming a GEER Member

Cost: $200 per annum

Criteria to Qualify as a Member:

Has a PhD or significant research experience (for research members)
Has experience leading major projects in energy efficiency (for research and industry members)
Works with an organisation heavily involved with residential energy use and has specialist knowledge to help inform GEER decisions (for industry members)

Apply to GEER

GEER comprises a group of like-minded researchers and industry specialists who choose to work together to bring about improvements in outcomes on residential energy efficiency.

If you have relevant experience in this field and would like to join the GEER committee as either a strategic or general member contact us below. Be sure to attach an updated copy of your CV and a brief paragraph about why you would like to join the inner-fold.

GEER Member Benefits

How to become a member

Strategic Member

(highest level)

Contribute to the decision making of GEER by joining monthly GEER teleconferences where you can vote on GEER’s activities, direction, strategies and new ideas
Receive monthly agendas and minutes
Eligible to join the GEER Steering Committee (limit of four places)
Invited FIRST to lead or join commissioned research projects
Invited FIRST to present research at GEER events
Funded trips to GEER workshops (twice p.a. where flights/accommodation/meals are covered)
Contribute to building the unique GEER Knowledge Interface (content to be developed)
Receive 20% discount on all GEER ticketed events (IREE conference, GEER Symposium, GEER Round Table)
Receive a $200 discount on membership p.a. if taking on a specific GEER role (e.g., event organising, newsletter, database management, media releases, social media)
Automatic subscription to GEER mailing list

General Member

Invited to join commissioned research projects
Invited to present research at GEER events
Contribute to building the unique GEER Knowledge Interface (content to be developed)
Receive 20% discount on all GEER ticketed events (IREE conference, GEER Symposium, GEER Round Table)
Receive a $200 discount on membership if taking on a specific GEER role (e.g., event organising, newsletter, database management, media releases, social media)
Automatic subscription to GEER mailing list