Net Zero Fund

Project Title: An embedded solution to energy efficient lighting for La Trobe Offices

This project aims to improve energy efficiency by turning off lights in vacant rooms or rooms with enough natural light that is suitable for office work.

An embedded system based on a low-cost micro-controller and a camera will be developed with the size of the system to be smaller than a credit card. It will act as a control to the light switch based on the images captured by the camera. If successful, a working prototype will be developed that can be easily installed in an office.

Lead Investigators: Dr Dennis Deng and Dr Robert Ross, Department of Engineering

Lead Investigator: Professor Ani Desai, Centre for Technology Infusion

Project Title: The 1st Australian Green Lab. Developing a framework for sustainable labs at La Trobe University

The laboratories at La Trobe are some of the largest energy and resource consuming facilities within the university. Estimates indicate that laboratory spaces consume up to ten times more energy than office spaces, and scientists at the University of Exeter (UK) calculated that the average scientist in their facility was generating almost 1,000 Kg of plastic waste per year. Therefore, it is essential to look critically at the contribution and changes that La Trobe can make in its laboratories.

To be part of this effort for change, the Hill lab went through a certification process which included a rigorous review of protocols and practices and identified actions to improve the lab’s sustainability. It became the first sustainable Green Lab-certified laboratory in Australia, as recognised through the global initiative My Green Lab.

More importantly, these efforts will serve for the development of a framework for sustainable labs across La Trobe University and its campuses. Read more about Australia's first certified Green Lab.

Lead Investigators: Dr Eduard Willms and Professor Andrew Hill, College of Science, Health and Engineering

Project Title: The dark side of energy efficient lighting: LED lights give wildlife the blues. Shifting spectral wavelengths to develop “Wildlife Friendly” lighting

The aim of the project is to quantify the impact of artificial night lighting on wildlife and develop “wildlife friendly” options to reduce impact.

Specific objectives are to:

1. Gain a better understanding of how artificial light affects wildlife health and ecology.

2. Experimentally assess our ability to mitigate the negative impacts of artificial light at night through the development and testing of “wildlife friendly” lighting.

3. Generate guidelines regarding lighting design and spectral wavelengths required to meet industry standards and achieve conservation goals in ecologically sensitive areas

Lead Investigator: Dr Kylie Robert, Department of Ecology, Environment & Evolution

Scholarship recipient: Alicia Dimovski

Alicia’s research, titled ‘Environmental sustainability and wildlife conservation: does energy-efficient lighting cause unexpected ecological damage?’ aims to gain a greater understanding of how direct and indirect light pollution affects the ecology of Australian animals.

Light pollution represents the most drastic change to the nocturnal environment by effectively turning night into day. However, we are only beginning to learn the damaging effects this has on nocturnal ecology. This is of particular concern in Australia where over 80% of our mammals are nocturnal.

A combination of lab and field studies will be used to identify the impacts.

In conjunction with lighting engineers, “wildlife-friendly LED lighting” will be developed and tested as an alternative to currently used lighting.

The animals chosen for the study are urban sugar gliders and involves understanding impacts on breeding as well. This work is also part of Dr Kylie Roberts work which was successful in receiving research funding from the Net Zero Fund.

Given the majority of old technology streetlighting (e.g. high-pressure sodium) is now past its 25-30-year lifespan there is an urgent and substantial need for the installation of energy and cost-efficient lighting. This provides a timely opportunity to develop and test sustainable, wildlife friendly lighting options.

This research will help inform industry to carry out sustainable lighting replacements which significantly reduce the negative impacts on Australian wildlife and contribute to the Department of the Environment and Energy’s next release of the National Light Pollution Guidelines for Wildlife

Scholarship recipient: Prabod Rathnayaka, Research Center for Data Analytics and Cognition (CDAC), Business School, La Trobe University

Prabod’s project focuses on energy management and aims to:

1. Design and develop new AI algorithms for LEAP, La Trobe’s Energy Analytics Platform to predict energy consumption

2. Transform these algorithms into a data analytics platform within LEAP for La Trobe’s I&O division to use to optimise energy usage and thereby net zero carbon emission.

LEAP was developed by La Trobe’s Centre for Data Analytics and Cognition (CDAC) to consolidate internal energy-related data streams and external data sources into a centralised data platform to facilitate the application of data analytics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms, for actionable insights and energy optimisation.

The data from LEAP will enable La Trobe to keep energy consumption to optimal levels and therefore reduce our carbon and cost footprint. Real-time monitoring highlights anything out of the norm enabling further investigation by the operations team.

Once fully developed, LEAP will not be limited for use at La Trobe University locations; it will also provide a service to the local community; schools, not-for-profit organisations, and small businesses.

Scholarship recipient: Haftu Tasew Reda

The research titled ‘Detection of Data Integrity Cyber Attacks in Smart Grid Based on Data-Driven Approaches’ focuses on the detection of cyber-attacks called Falsified Data Injection Attacks (FDIA) in state estimation.

State estimation plays a very important role in smart power systems. Its purpose is to improve the dispatch of energy, system reliability and planning capabilities by understanding the operating state of the power system.

There is recent research showing that a newly emerged and coordinated class of cyber-attacks called Falsified Data Injection Attacks (FDIA) can circumvent existing detection techniques, mislead the power system state estimation, and induce abnormality in the power system operation.

The research will set out to:

1. Identify vulnerabilities over existing power system state estimators

2. Propose detection techniques to ensure the reliability of power system operations.

The proposed detection/defence scheme could bring a sustainable security solution towards the energy sector.

Scholarship recipient: Nicole Pavich

The aim of the research is to consider how film can play a role in reducing the waste, pollution and exploitation caused by fast fashion. Simultaneously, it will investigate film’s capacity to increase the appeal and accessibility of sustainable apparel for millennials.

YouGov research has revealed millennials (aged 16-34) consume and dispose of fast fashion more than other generations in Australia (2017). Fast fashion economically bolsters clothing chains who rapidly manufacture cheap, large quantities, of un-durable apparel. This system costs the environment and offshore workers in its supply chain.

This project has examined several articulations of “fashion film” (including branded intermedial films, documentaries, user-generated content and 360-degree videos) to understand how existing screen texts are harnessing audio-visual media to present arguments and ideas about sustainable clothing.

This research has been well received at conferences in and beyond La Trobe University. Interviews with youth consumers, sustainable fashion activists and industry practitioners will form the next phase of this study. Two short films will also be produced that will test environmentally considerate, innovative film production practices and are scheduled for pre-production later this year.

This research also aims to identify and implement innovative filmmaking practices that champion environmental sustainability.