People - Rick Maddox

Background

Rick Maddox is a degree qualified mechanical / electrical engineer with more than 25 years experience in the energy sector and sustainability in the built environment. Starting his career in traditional power generation, he has for the last ten years focused exclusively on renewable energy, demand side management and sustainability in the built environment. Rick has been a champion in these fields through a wide variety of engineering, management and advocacy roles and in developing innovative technology.

 

During the early 1990s Rick worked on various power generation and demand side management projects for Sinclair Knight Merz before moving to Parsons Brinkerhoff as National Renewable Energy Manager in 1999. In 2001 he set up his own consulting company Aria Sustainability Consulting and was appointed to the Board of the Australian Wind Energy Association (AusWEA) at a critical time in the evolution of the industry. Here he was commissioned by the Commonwealth Department of Environment and Heritage and AusWEA to write a code of practice for large scale wind projects.

 

Since 2001 Rick has also become increasingly involved in urban development and green building projects, having worked on some ground breaking projects including the multi award winning The Ecovillage at Currumbin, a 144 lot residential development on the Gold Coast. Amongst many awards the project won the UDIA's Best Environmental Development and International Real Estate Federation’s World’s Best Development in 2007.

 

In 2004 Rick co-founded visionary technology company EcoVision Solutions to develop real time energy and water consumption feedback systems for residential communities, commercial buildings and ultimately the smart grid network. EcoVision won the ABC New Inventors People Choice Award in March 2008 and the Telstra Network 10 Environment Award in 2008 and went on secure contracts to install 150 systems at the multi award winning Ecovillage at Currumbin, and a further 106 homes at the South Australian Government’s Lochiel Park development in South Australia. The company was sold in 2009.

 

In 2008 Rick was appointed ESD Manager for SKM where he was responsible for team service delivery across a raft of sustainable building projects involving CFD modelling, Green Star and NABERs ratings for a range of buildings types. He was also identified by SKM as a sustainability change champion and asked to identify a strategy for reducing emissions in SKMs global commercial building portfolio.

 

Rick’s passion for sustainable energy and the built environment has led to many speaking engagements at government, private sector and pubic forums :

Presentations

  • Austrade Wanwu Hong Kong Delegation, October 2009 – EcoVision : Real Time Data to Drive Investment in Sustainability Initiatives
  • Global Digital Cities Network (GDCN) Annual Assembly, September 2009 – Smart Grids : Evolving Technologies and Businesses
  • IIR Green Buildings Conference, December 2008 – EcoVision : Real Time Data to Drive Investment in Sustainability Initiatives
  • Department of Trade Regional Development and Industry Seminar, November 2008 – EcoVision : Resource Management Framework Solution 
  • Property Council of Australia : – EcoVision : A Cooperative Demand Side Management Tool
  • EPA EcoBiz Forums June 2008 – Evaluating Sustainability Options
  • International Solar Cities Congress, Adelaide 2008 – EcoVision : A Cooperative Demand Side Management Tool
  • Australian Green Development Forum September 2006 – Understanding Sustainable Development
  • EPA EcoBiz Gold Coast Breakfast August 2006 – Evaluating Sustainability Options
  • Business Council for Sustainable Energy Conference 2006 – A Supply and Demand Side Approach to Ecologically Sustainable Subdivisions
  • Australian Wind Energy Forum 2004 – Wind Industry Development Project
  • Stanwell Power Generation Technology Forum 2004 
  • World Environment Day 2003 – The Australian Wind Energy Industry
  • Australian Wind Energy Forum 2001 and IBC Australian Wind Energy Conference 2002 – Best Practice Guidelines for Wind Energy Projects in Australia
  • Australian Wind Energy Forum 2000 - Getting Wind Power Up & Running
  • Presentation to South Australian Government – Overview of the Australian Wind Industry
  • IBC MRET & Mandatory Greenhouse Benchmarks Scheme – How Much Should MRET be Increased By?

 

Detailed Resume

on request