Australia Awards South and West Asia

Mongolian alumnus Erbar Agarjav completed his Master of Sustainable Energy at RMIT University in 2021 with the support of an Australia Awards Scholarship. Before studying in Australia, he had built a solid career in Mongolia’s energy sector, rising from a role as a fitter of heat meters to becoming Head of Engineering and Production at the Ulaanbaatar District Heating Company. During these years, he developed a deep expertise in heating systems, energy efficiency and project management.

Erbar chose to study in Australia for its global expertise in sustainable energy and building technologies. Through the Australia Awards Scholarship, he gained world-class academic knowledge while exploring practical, real-world solutions to Mongolia’s environmental and energy challenges. His studies at RMIT provided advanced knowledge of renewable generation, energy storage and sustainable building performance. He also gained valuable insights into Australia’s home solar rollout, as a result of which more than 3.7 million households now have rooftop solar systems. While this rollout has been highly successful, solar capacity has been over-installed in some regions relative to grid absorption capacity, creating challenges for grid stability and leading to daytime energy curtailment.

“Home solar adoption in Mongolia is only just beginning. This presents an opportunity to avoid the risks of over-installation by taking a planned, balanced approach that integrates rooftop solar with storage systems, smart grids and energy-efficient housing,” Erbar says.

Using what he learnt from his studies in Australia, Erbar developed the concept of a Home Solar Development Plan and presented it to Mongolian policymakers and professional engineering associations. Drawing on lessons from Australia, the plan adapts best practices to Mongolia’s unique conditions and outlines suggestions such as establishing policy incentives to encourage households and businesses to adopt solar energy systems with storage batteries.

Erbar pictured holding his Australia Awards Scholarship certificate on graduation day at RMIT University.

After returning from Australia, Erbar worked as a Senior Construction Superintendent at MCS International LLC for the Oyu Tolgoi underground mine, gaining extensive hands-on experience in complex engineering and construction environments. This role deepened his understanding of large-scale construction coordination, contractor management and quality assurance.

Through his consultancy, Erbar promotes affordable, energy-efficient housing that eliminates the source of one of the largest contributions to winter air pollution in Ulaanbaatar: coal-burning stoves. His vision is to introduce a new housing model for Mongolia that integrates airtight and highly insulated building envelopes, renewable energy generation and on-site storage, optimised heating and ventilation systems for better indoor air quality, and lower lifetime energy costs for homeowners.

“Combining rooftop solar, battery storage and Passive House principles can start a new chapter in Mongolia’s housing industry by reducing emissions, improving indoor air quality and lowering household energy bills,” he says.

Erbar’s long-term goal to contribute to the development of Mongolia is to launch a national program for energy-efficient housing. Drawing on lessons from Australia’s solar experience and international Passive House examples, he believes that a well-designed policy, combined with advanced building standards, can accelerate the transition to a low-carbon housing sector while safeguarding grid stability.

In 2024, Erbar initiated the Young Leadership Award at the Ulaanbaatar District Heating Company—his first professional workplace, where he served for 15 years. The award recognises and supports young engineers and managers (up to age 35) who lead teams and demonstrate outstanding leadership, innovation and commitment to continuous learning.

Erbar fully funds the award and intends to hold it annually. His aim is to encourage innovative leadership practices, strengthen organisational culture and promote sustainable development within Mongolia’s heating sector. Although no longer employed at the company, Erbar sees this initiative as a way to give back to the organisation and the city’s district heating community that shaped his career.

“Supporting young leaders is an investment in Mongolia’s future,” Erbar says. “Strong, innovative leadership at the grassroots level is essential for achieving sustainable and resilient infrastructure.”

Erbar’s journey—from working as district heating engineer to becoming a project manager, co-founder of a non-government organisation, and advocate for sustainable and energy-efficient housing—demonstrates how technical expertise, international education and community leadership can come together to create meaningful, lasting change. His story reflects the vision of Australia Awards: empowering individuals to contribute to the sustainable development of their home countries while fostering enduring links between nations. For Erbar, this is only the beginning. His commitment to advancing clean energy, environmentally-friendly housing and leadership development in Mongolia remains stronger than ever.