Events

27 May 2026 - Congratulations to the 2026 EEC Award winners.

Now in its thirteenth year, the EEC Awards are Australia’s highest profile honours dedicated to excellence in energy efficiency, electrification and demand flexibility. Australia’s energy management community gathered to celebrate 2026’s EEC Award winners at the National Conference Gala Dinner.

To all the award nominees – the quantity and quality was outstanding, and an incredible endorsement for the strength of Australian innovation in our sector. The judges had a difficult time deciding the winners which is a testament to the transformative work of the people and organisations working in energy management across the Australian economy.

EEC Champion of the Year
The Champion of the Year is presented to an individual who has demonstrated outstanding achievement in advancing the energy management and electrification sector through advocacy, research, education or projects.

Congratulations Carlos Flores

As Director of NABERS – Australia’s government‑run rating system for building performance – Carlos led one of the nation’s most influential and effective climate programs. The EEC recognises Carlos as a leader whose work has reshaped Australia’s built environment, delivered climate impact at scale, and set a global benchmark for what credible, data‑driven sustainability leadership can achieve. Congratulations Carlos.

EEC Young Champion of the Year

The Young Champion of the Year is presented to an individual under 35 years of age who has
demonstrated outstanding achievement in advancing the energy management sector through advocacy,
research, education or projects.

Congratulations Tom Coad

Tom Coad is a key driver in transitioning residential energy efficiency from a specialised sustainability metric into a practical tool for the financial sector. He led the development and market adoption of Cotality’s Energy Efficiency Solution, which combines CSIRO RapidRate calculators with Cotality property data to deliver an immediate estimated NatHERS star rating.

EEC Inclusion Champion of the Year

Advancing diversity, equity and inclusion isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s integral to ensuring we have enough boots, brogues and heels on the ground to deliver the energy transition and net zero transformation. The EEC is committed to growing Australia’s energy management sector by putting diversity, equity and inclusion at the heart of what we do.
The Inclusion Champion of the Year award will be presented to an individual, team or organisation, or an organisation’s specific program, that has demonstrated a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, including development and implementation of inclusive practices, programs or initiatives that lead to greater support, access, representation or participation, demonstration of leadership through active modelling of inclusive behaviours, and engagement in promoting inclusive practices, programs or initiatives.

Congratulations WA Energy Ahead Program

Delivered by Energy Policy WA, Energy Ahead aims to empower households to take control of their energy use and reduce bills through free energy coaching, audits and workshops designed to improve energy literacy and home energy efficiency.

EEC Life Fellow

An EEC Life Fellowship is betstowed the EEC’s Board and recognises an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the Energy Efficiency Council and its mission to build the market for energy efficiency products and services, and whose work has had a decisive role in the development of the sector.

Congratulations Dr Mary Stewart

The EEC’s Board recognises Dr Mary Stewart as an industry leader whose legacy is woven into the fabric of the sector. Her work has strengthened the EEC, elevated efficiency and electrification in the climate debate, and helped position Australia for a smarter, cleaner and more resilient energy future. Mary serves the EEC Board from 2017-2024, including as President from 2021. Her impact will continue to be felt in the sector for many years to come.

Efficient Electric Homes Market Leadership Award

Recognises energy management and electrification projects in residential buildings, including projects in individual dwellings, multi-unit buildings, areas (e.g. suburbs or regional towns) or multiple buildings retrofitted under a project (e.g. by a developer, utility or energy service provider).

Congratulations All Electric Homes, Scaling Council-led Electrification Across Australia

All Electric Homes, in partnership with local governments and community organisations, developed and delivered a scalable model for residential electrification. Combining community engagement, tailored home assessments, and coordinated multi trade delivery, it has electrified hundreds of homes and is designed as a repeatable framework ready to be deployed across local government areas.

Productive Net-zero Businesses Market Leadership Award

Recognises energy management projects in commercial and industrial premises, including projects that improve energy efficiency, result in the substitution of fossil fuel combustion with electricity (electrification), and/or increase demand flexibility (by ‘shifting’ or ‘shaping’ when electricity is used by the building/site), projects that improve a business’ readiness for Net Zero by reducing the business’s scope 1 emissions associated with energy use, but also its scope 2 and scope 3 emissions; and projects that cover an entire commercial building or industrial site; or a discreet process in the building/plant (e.g. boilers).

Congratulations Oceana Property Partners & Delta Q, West Block – Heritage building NABERS 5.5 star refurbishment

West Block is a nationally significant heritage 1920s office building within Canberra’s Parliamentary Triangle. The refurbishment brought a 1.0-Star NABERS Energy rating towards 5.5 Stars and demonstrates that heritage conservation and energy leadership can be achieved together, providing a replicable model for heritage buildings across Australia.

Optimised Energy Systems Market Leadership Award

Recognises projects that leverage demand-side assets to help optimise the electricity system,
including projects that use energy efficiency, electrification or load shifting/shaping at a sufficient scale to
materially contribute to helping reduce peak demand, minimise renewable energy curtailment, maintain minimum system load, provide frequency and ancillary services, provide emergency demand response services; and/or provide other grid services. Also recognises projects that cover multiple sites (e.g., multiple homes, commercial buildings, or industrial sites), multiple technologies (e.g. thousands of air-conditioners participating in virtual powerplant
(VPP)) and projects that both employ technologies (e.g. devices that module demand across multiple sites largely
autonomously), and behaviour change (e.g. an alert that encourages consumers to modify their demand).

Congratulations Climatech Zero, Compressed-air-as-a-service-model

Climatech Zero worked with Visy Bevcan Yatala to replace its ageing compressed air system with a modern, high-efficiency, dual-pressure architecture delivered under a fully outsourced service model. The project delivered 37% energy savings and is the first Compressed-Air-as-a-Service deployment at a large-scale industrial manufacturing site in Australia.

Energy Management Government Program Leadership Award

Recognises government programs that drive improvements in energy management, including programs that drive retrofits in privately owned commercial or residential buildings or industrial sites. This could include grant programs, information programs (e.g. NABERS) and on-ground retrofit activities, programs by governments that manage demand in order to reduce energy bills, improve reliability or deliver other benefits to the grid, and retrofits of government buildings (schools, hospitals, etc.).

Congratulations Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU), Electrifying Victoria

Electrification incentives have directly contributed to 85K households replacing gas heating and 60K replacing gas hot water with efficient electric alternatives – reducing Victoria’s residential gas use by almost 5% and replacing up to 3% of Victoria’s installed gas heaters each year.

Energy Management Government Program Leadership Award-Highly Commended

Congratulations Yarra City Council, Climate Safe Rooms and Yarra Home Energy Upgrades

Overcoming barriers to retrofit for strata residents, renters, and low-income households with intersecting health, welfare and support needs, these projects combined direct financial subsidies with an innovative delivery model including a broad retrofit or a single “climate safe room” for residents with chronic health conditions exacerbated by extreme heat or cold.