The Energy Ready toolkit, published by the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) Institute for Sustainable Futures (ISF), is the winner of a 2024 Australian Good Design Award in the Social Impact category. Considered the nation’s peak international design endorsement, the Australian Good Design Award recognises the best in design an innovation globally.
The Energy Ready toolkit is a first-of-its-kind resource to help guide communities through the process of planning for, coping with and bouncing back from climate-related weather events like extreme heat and fires, floods and storms that disrupt their energy supply.
The toolkit includes a guidebook of step-by-step instructions for seven simple activities community groups can do, and a set of prompt cards and templates to use in the activities. Once communities work through the activities, they will be better connected, stronger and safer with a robust energy-resilience plan and an inventory of resources in place.
The toolkit was the result of a year-long process of research and consultation, funded by Energy Consumers Australia’s Grants Program and delivered in partnership with UTS-ISF, Community Power Agency and Parallel Lines.
The Energy Ready guidebook explains what energy resilience means for communities and includes advice from communities that have experienced, or are at high risk of experiencing, climate-related disasters. This information was collected at a series of workshops in Mullumbimby and Lake Macquarie in New South Wales, Gympie and Magnetic Island in Queensland, and Bonang and Mornington Peninsula in Victoria. Vital guidance and information on resilience was also provided by the project’s Steering Reference Group.
Designer Chris Gaul worked in close contact with the project team over many months, to develop the toolkit’s format and content. His process was informed by the results of community workshops staged by ISF and the Community Power Agency, and the stated needs of the communities consulted.
The result is a product that is designed for purpose – it is attractive, easy to follow and engaging. To make the toolkit accessible to communities, it is also designed to be downloaded for free.
Chris Gaul of Parallel Lines says, “Design is often mistaken for being the polish that’s applied at the end of the process. Good design goes much deeper. It is about building a rich understanding of the context you’re working in, especially the challenges that people face. It’s not about solving people’s problems. It’s about working with them to design tools that empower them to act and to change things for the better.”
“Our research found that capacity building and social cohesion go hand-in-hand when preparing, responding and recovering from extreme weather events,” says ISF Senior Research Consultant Dr Sarah Niklas.
“So, the interactive element of the toolkit, which encourages communities to come together, became a central component that guided the overall design and the way we presented our content and information.”
“It is terrific that Energy Ready has been recognised with this prestigious award for its social impact,” Carol Valente, Energy Consumers Australia Executive Manager, Advocacy and Policy, said. “Communities want to take steps to be more energy resilient but they often don’t know what to do, where to turn to or how to do it. This means they need support to better understand what energy resilience means for them and make the right decisions that suit their situation.
"Energy Ready equips communities to be more energy resilient in the face of an emergency in ways that meet their unique needs. With parts of the Australia already at
increased early risk of bushfires this spring, it’s vital that communities take steps now to protect themselves so that they can be summer ready.
“We encourage all communities to download the guide and ensure they are prepared for and can withstand climate-related weather events.”
The Energy Ready toolkit can be downloaded at www.energyready.uts.edu.au