Associate Professor Anna Bruce
Bachelor of Electrical Engineering (Hons), UNSW Sydney, Australia
Ph.D., UNSW Sydney, Australia
IEEE (member)
Dr Anna Bruce is an Associate Professor in the School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering and Joint Director (Engineering) at the Collaboration on Energy and Environmental Markets (CEEM) at UNSW Sydney.  She leads CEEM’s research theme in Distributed Energy Systems, distributed generation and demand-side participation. Her research includes modelling, analysis and integration of renewable energy and distributed energy resources into electricity industries; energy access in developing countries; and energy policy and regulation. Anna contributes to the IEA’s PV Power Systems programmes and leads the APVI’s Solar Mapping project.
Teaching Areas
- Renewable Energy Policy
- Sustainable Energy for Developing Countries
Research Interests
- Integration of Renewable and Distributed Energy
- Renewable and Distributed Energy Modelling and Analysis
- Energy Policy
- Electricity Market Design and Regulation
- Energy Access and Capacity Building
- Renewable Energy Minigrids
- Low Energy Buildings and Energy Efficiency
- Publications
- Media
- Grants
- Awards
- Research Activities
- Engagement
- Teaching and Supervision
Project Lead: SunSPoT Solar Assessment Tool Upgrade
2021-2023, Australian Government Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources
Development of improved functionality of the SunSPoT solar potential assessment tool based on user testing outcomes and stakeholder consultation. The SunSPoT Tool allows users to assess the generation and electricity bill outcomes from installing rooftop solar and batteries at a specific site. The analysis is based on site-specific LiDAR and weather data. The UNSW Team developed the SunSPoT platform for the APVI with funding from ARENA and has mapped over 50 local government areas.Â
Project Lead: 24/7 TRUEZERO
2022-2024, Race for 2030 Cooperative Research Centre
In this project, tools will be developed for matching renewables purchasing of large energy users with their demand; tracking, understanding and enhancing the outcomes of these purchasing approaches and on-site energy management activities. Through the project, potential renewables products, accounting and contracting approaches will be assessed and new options developed that can enable customers to establish a stronger link between their energy purchases and renewables generation.
Project Lead: ARC Hub for Integrated Energy Storage Systems - SubProject 5.6 Valuing energy Storage
2020-2023, Australian Research Council
This project aims to develop open source modelling frameworks and techniques that will be used to develop an improved understanding of the value and impact of energy storage in a future NEM with high penetrations of renewable energy and distributed resources. Dissemination of the results and open source models and methods will facilitate more transparent assessment of storage scenarios and decision-making around storage, and relevant aspects of market design and regulation.Â
Research Advisor: Smart Energy Asset Management Intelligence (SEAMI)
2022-2023, National Smart Sensing Network
The SEAMI Project is led by UNSW Sydney with Global Sustainable Energy Solutions (GSES), UTS and a group of local government partners. The aim is to to develop tools to assist Councils to better manage their solar assets, and more broadly the development of published methods for monitoring and diagnosis of PV system underperformance
Research Supervisor: Voltage Analysis for the ESB
2020, Australian Energy Security Board
The Energy Security Board commissioned the Centre for Energy and Environmental Markets at the University of New South Wales to undertake analysis of voltage on the LV networks within the National Electricity Market, as well as distributed PV’s influence on that  voltage. This  work used a  unique  dataset  of  maximum  and  minimum  voltage measurements over 12,000 sites in the LV network, provided by Solar Analytics, a company offering real-time performance monitoring for PV system owners.Â
Research Supervisor: Integrated Smart Home Energy Management, Control and Data Visibility
2018-2020, CRC Project
A collaboration with industry partners Solar Analytics, Wattwatchers, Swithchdin, Apricus, South Australian Power Networks and Energy Queensland to investigate the feasibility and value of smart home energy management technologies including demand response of hot water and air conditioning, and consumer preferences for participation in automation.
Past Projects:
- Curtailment and Network Voltage Analysis Study (CANVAS), CRC Race for 2030, 2021
- Energy Data Platform (EDP), ACAP Infrastructure Fund, ARENA 2021-2021
- IEA PV Power Systems Technical Collaborative Programme, Increasing the uptake of solar PV through the delivery of quality research, data and information, ARENA 2019-2022
- Mission Innovation Challenge - Off-Grid Access to Electricity, ARENA 2018-2021
- Integrated Smart Home Energy Management, Control and Data Visibility, CRC-P, 2018 – 2020
- Energy Data for Smart Decision Making, Smart Cities and Suburbs Program, 2018–2020
- An expanded open source modelling tool for assessing how different network and retail tariffs, and distributed energy options, impact on small energy consumers,Energy Consumers Australia, 2018-2020
- Increased Distributed Energy Resources (DER) hosting through insights into voltage disturbances from behind the meter voltage data, CRC LCL, 2018-2019
- Financial assessment tool to assist large energy consumers with energy contracting and clean energy options including local as well as off-site renewables, CRC LCL, 2018-2019
- PV opportunities for multi-dwelling buildings, Energy Consumers Australia, 2016-17
- Open source tool for assessing distribution network tariffs, Energy Consumers Australia, 2016-17
- Facilitating Large energy User Deployment of Off-Site Renewable Generation, CRC for Low-Carbon Living. 2016
- Data Collation & Analysis for Development of a Climate-based PV Module Rating Scheme, ARENA, USA-SEC, 2012-2015
- Staged Development of an Interactive Australian PV Solar Mapping Resource, ARENA enabling research grant, 2012-2014
My Research Supervision
Current PhD students can be viewed  and recently completed PhDs .