solarZero takes home the Innovation in Energy Award at the Energy Excellence Awards
New Zealand Energy Excellence Awards, held at Te Pae in Christchurch, celebrated outstanding achievements in the energy sector, recognising achievements across the energy sector. With nearly 700 attendees, these annual awards demonstrated the industry’s commitment to celebrating innovation and progress within the sector.
The Ara Ake sponsored Innovation in Energy award was presented to SolarZero at the 2023 New Zealand Energy Excellence Awards in Christchurch.
It was for an industry-first utilisation of a vast network of distributed batteries to provide ancillary support to the wholesale market.
“Congratulations to SolarZero for demonstrating dedication on the path towards a sustainable, equitable and resilient energy future,” says Ara Ake chief executive Dr Cristiano Marantes.
By mid-2024 SolarZero expects more than 15,000 of its systems to be enrolled to offer reserves, providing up to 80MW of reserves capacity.
Other outstanding achievements in the energy sector – witnessed by nearly 700 annual award attendees – went to award winners Fonterra, Ecogas, Unison Networks and Transpower, Top Energy, Ecotricity, The Lines Company, Contact Energy, and Northpower.
“The awards were a great opportunity to celebrate the vision, dedication, and collaborative spirit that drive progress in the energy sector,” says Marantes, adding Ara Ake looks forward to continuing its support next year.
Finalists of the Innovation in Energy Award spanned an impressive array of innovations, including Genesis Energy’s “Everywhere” product unveiled in September 2022 offering exclusive variable energy rates for its customers with EVs. it can potentially lead to up to 70% savings on ChargeNet’s EV charging network.
The collaborative efforts of Transpower, the Electricity Authority, and NZX were also recognised. By enabling consumers to make real-time energy consumption decisions based on real-time pricing, this initiative is poised to mitigate demand peaks, reduce price volatility, and expedite New Zealand’s transition to a low-emissions energy future.
Published on 31 Aug 2023