John K Ward

Dr. John K Ward is the Research Director of the Energy Systems Research Program at CSIRO. He leads the Energy Systems (GEES) Research Program, managing a portfolio with over 50 staff across multiple sites to address Australia’s national energy challenges, including building thermal physics, behavioural science, electricity network optimization, solar forecasting, and energy storage.

Research Focus: Dr. Ward specializes in intelligent integration of energy systems within electricity distribution networks. His work emphasizes energy-efficient building systems, optimization methods for distributed energy systems, and multi-agent learning techniques. Key contributions include foundational research for startups like Evergen and the international deployment of BuildingIQ’s technology, which he commercialized through ASX-listed BuildingIQ.

• Technical lead for Mission Innovation Smart Grids innovation challenge
• Australian Representative on the International Energy Agency (IEA) Smart Grid network (ISGAN)
• Chair of the International Conference on Integration of Renewable and Distributed Energy Resources (IRED 2020)

Leadership & Standards: Dr. Ward shaped the CSIRO/ENA Electricity Network Transformation Roadmap (ENTR) and contributed to Australian Standards committees for PV installation, inverter control, grid interaction, and energy storage safety. He also developed Australia’s first desiccant-based cogeneration system at Hornsby Library, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and electricity load during peak demand.

Academic Background: He earned his Ph.D. in Control Theory (2002) and a Bachelor of Engineering (Elec, Honours 1) from the University of Newcastle. With over 60 publications and 1100 citations (h-index 17), his research bridges fundamental science and scalable industry solutions.