Drones to string together the clean energy transition (feat. Infravision)

A Positive Climate

Cameron Van Der Berg from Infravision explains how can drones help us tackle climate change.

As the world transitions to 100% renewable energy we are going to need a whole lot more electricity transmission. Historically fossil fuel generators have always been located in centralised locations closer to central loads or cities. However, if our grid is 100% clean the generation mix is likely to be far more dispersed. While you’ll ideally have solar on your roof, the large solar farms will be located in the places with the best sun and the large wind farms will be in the windiest places in the country (sometimes even offshore).

In this week's episode we chat to Cameron Van Der Berg from Infravision, who have developed drone technology that can help install the influx of new electricity transmission lines in a safer, greener, more efficient way.

Chris Cox and Cameron, co-founders of Infravision, have been kicking goals securing contracts to assist with transmission for some of the biggest energy projects in Australia including Snowy Hydro 2.0 and the EnergyConnect interconnector. Infravision was dreamt up after Cameron was working as a transmission engineer and seeing the many inefficiencies and meanwhile Chris was working in the airforce on drone technology.

The boys are down to earth, super smart and employ their “get after it” attitude to everything at Infravision.

This episode covers:

• How Chris and Cameron met in a barrier reef dive shop and originally launched a gym software startup before deciding they had bigger fish to fry
• The benefit of having ex-defence force personnel in a startup
• How transmission lines are typically strung and why it hasn’t been innovated upon in a number of years
• How Infravision’s technology can string power lines faster, safer and with less environmental impact
• The weirdest things they’ve carried with a drone

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Music by the late, great Nick Weaver

Production by our hero Mark Spencer from Here.Media

Socials by the legend Rebecca Sather Jenkins

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Some more reading if you’re interested in the topic

• The basics on transmission’s role in Australia’s clean energy future

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About the podcast

Climate change is the greatest challenge facing humanity. The consequences are so dire that the media usually focuses on the negative and many of us have no idea where to begin.

To flip the script, clean energy experts Alex McIntosh and Nick Zeltzer host A Positive Climate, an uplifting podcast focused on ways to tackle climate change.

If you want to be inspired by interviews with some of Australia’s most innovative people, if you want to learn a lot (and laugh a little) and if you want a way to leave your climate related existential crises at bay, this podcast is for you.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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1. Midroll (00:17:34)