Spotlight on Students in Renewable Energy
A bridge between the next generation of renewable energy leaders, community and industry.
Connecting passion to purpose, Students in Renewable Energy (SiRE), is a University of Melbourne student organisation bringing together the next generation of energy leaders — connecting talented individuals to determined organisations driving the renewable energy transition. We interviewed its outgoing President, Tess Tregear, and incoming President, Miles Cowton, on its role, its achievements and its future.
Students in Renewable Energy (SiRE) outgoing President, Tess Tregear, and its incoming President, Miles Cowton.
How is a student-led group like yours contributing to Australia’s renewable energy ecosystem?
SiRE connects students from a wide range of academic backgrounds, passionate about renewable energy — and helps them prepare for careers in the transition.
We create a bridge between academic studies and industry, with student projects focused on the problems that need solving for a net zero future.
And we deliver a range of ways students can explore and hone their skills, from team competitions, to debates, to industry panel discussions, to networking events, coffee-catch-ups and site visits. We've connected students to mentors from among the wide-range of University experts, including from the Australian Centre for Offshore Wind Energy (ACOWE), and the Melbourne Energy Institute (MEI), as well as from across the energy industry.
Our members tell us they have now explored career paths in energy they may not have previously considered, as well as deepened their industry knowledge.
Why do you think organisations like SiRE matter?
Our role is twofold: helping passionate people find their place in the energy sector, and helping industry find the next generation of talent to take the transition forward.
When engaging with industry, we are often told that organisations have difficulty in finding their future leaders. So being able to connect industry, with a community of students from SiRE, that have both technical and practical experience, as well as a genuine passion for sustainability, benefits industry, as well as graduates. We give industry a chance to speak directly with their future workforce about what they need.
Similarly, we provide students with a chance to build and showcase their technical abilities for potential employers. Students often feel that they aren’t exposed to field relevant projects throughout their courses and graduates say that they learn almost all of what they do through on-job training and experience — an observation mirrored by industry partners. SiRE’s project teams and industry events allow students to gain these core industry skills and turn what was a barrier of entry to the field, into a differentiator in experience.
How does SiRE help students translate their passion for renewable energy into professional pathways?
Direct industry engagement has always been a fundamental focus of SiRE. We offer industry panel nights, site visits, and opportunities to take part in conference events. These are great in exposing our members to industry professionals, providing internship pathways, and deepening understanding of different roles within the field.
Skills development is also a huge focus for SiRE. This is where our Solar, Onshore Wind, and Offshore Wind project teams are crucial. By providing a space for students to design, manufacture, and test scale turbines and solar setups, SiRE supports the technical growth of members with directly translatable skills.
Likewise, participation in our outreach programs and school workshops, provides students with opportunities to exercise equally in-demand soft skills such as communication, presentation, and organisation.
What kinds of collaborations or partnerships have had the biggest impact?
One of our most successful long-term partnerships is with Skylar Education. They have enabled many of our members to complete their Global Wind Organisation (GWO) Basic Safety Training at no cost. This training is fundamental for wind turbine maintenance and a great way for students to prepare to enter the sector.
And we now have plans to extend the collaboration with Skyler into constructing a medium scale wind turbine for education and testing. This partnership stands as a great example of how our initiatives are mutually beneficial for students and industry.
Tess, looking back on your term as President, what achievements or initiatives are you most proud of in terms of industry engagement or community impact?
I’m most proud of SiRE’s 2025 site visits and community outreach events.
My favourite events this year were industry site visits, as these enabled me to gain unique insights into renewables projects, collaborate with industry professionals and build my own professional network along the way.
- Outgoing President, Tess Tregear, Students in Renewable Energy (SiRE)
I’m extremely grateful for the networking opportunities SiRE has given me.
Our first site visit this year was a road trip to Southerly Ten’s Yarram Office, followed by Ratch Australia Corporation’s Toora Wind Farm and finally, an Offshore Wind Day event in Leongatha on the way home. Our second site visit was to Stockyard Hill Wind Farm and our last visit for the year was to Port of Hastings’ Victorian Renewable Energy Terminal project site. These site visits involve presentations and tours from industry professionals working on the renewable energy projects and are an amazing chance to ask questions and explore potential career pathways.
A huge highlight was a boat tour of port infrastructure at Hastings, hosted by board members, engineers and community engagement leads.
SiRE is so grateful to these industry partners for their time and effort in supporting our club.
It was also so exciting to see SiRE move into the outreach space, collaborating with the Unimelb Engineers Without Borders club to run volunteer renewable energy workshops at regional schools near Ballarat and Warnambool. These workshops are about inspiring young people in regional areas to pursue engineering, while also raising awareness about the energy transition. I’m looking forward to what the future holds for SiRE in this space!
And what leadership lessons have you taken from your time guiding SiRE?
Taking on the role as SiRE President has enriched my life in so many ways. Not only by developing meaningful and long-lasting friendships, learning about renewables and establishing connections, but also on a deep personal growth level.
I was extremely lucky coming into the role after having been on SiRE’s general committee for a year and seeing the way the 2024 exec team lead the club. I was very inspired by the outgoing president and exec team, trying as best I could to follow in their footsteps this year by holding regular meetings with agendas, meeting minutes and action items, having a task planner for the committee, delegating responsibility over events and roles, communicating frequently and effectively with the team, having social team bonding catch-ups — and overall prioritising a positive, welcoming and inclusive club culture (the most important thing to me leading a club).
I have learnt a lot about things I can improve on as a leader as I continue my journey, such as chipping away at things consistently, little by little, instead of leaving large loads to catchup on, asking for help with tasks when things get too much and making sure everyone is learning how to do new things so that the team can easily delegate and help each other.
I really had no idea that I was capable of being a leader before joining SiRE, and the role has allowed me to see that I can do so much more than I previously thought.
Miles, as the incoming President, what are you hoping to build on or do differently in the coming year?
Coming into this role, it has been amazing to see the level of interaction between SiRE and both the community and industry.
Promoting interconnectedness between university students and real-world engineering projects is crucial in closing the gap between theory and practice — and in my opinion is one of the most valuable things SiRE provides to students.
- Incoming President, Miles Cowton, Students in Renewable Energy (SiRE)
Going forward, I am excited to explore these interactions further and work with other clubs and societies to provide even more opportunities like this for students.
And what inspires you most as you take the reins?
I've always enjoyed exploring the role that renewable energy plays in our lives, and the changes needed in the energy industry to create a more sustainable society. From projects in primary school, to working within the industry at Goldwind, I have always pursued this field with a keen interest.
Beyond my personal fascination with renewable energy and engineering — seeing the impact that SiRE has had on my peers has been a massively rewarding experience. Through being more involved this year, as a member, I’ve had the privilege of connecting with some of SiRE’s most passionate advocates.
Seeing the community that the club has cultivated is what most inspires me to lead the club going forward.
Looking ahead, what are your hopes for SiRE’s role in shaping the next generation of clean energy leaders?
With the energy transition to renewables gaining traction around the world, with many countries enacting aggressive climate targets, it is a fantastic time to pursue a career in this sector. Our focus on is being accessible and inclusive, so we can support students of any discipline to take their first steps towards joining the industry. We want to help bring new ideas, perspectives, skills and experience to the table — and ensure diverse voices have a say in how we meet the challenges renewables face.
We are also actively contributing to addressing some of those challenges, including cultivating and maintaining public support. SiRE’s participation in outreach programs and school workshops directly provides school students with an understanding of renewable energy and its place within a sustainable environment.
How can professionals connect with SiRE to explore collaboration opportunities?
For more about what we do, check out our website, LinkedIn profile and Instagram account. Any organisation looking to reach accomplished, engaged students on the verge of joining the renewable energy workforce is invited to email us. We are open to collaboration on events, site visits, or projects that connect your organisation with our students and our students to your work.
Students in Renewable Energy (SiRE) is a University of Melbourne student-led organisation creating industry opportunities for its members, and helping industry meet its future skills needs. It offers extracurricular events, site visits and projects, as well as schools outreach, so students can develop practical skills, boost public awareness, and increase their exposure to the renewable energy industry — all in an inclusive atmosphere. Visit their website or email SiRE for more information.