Projects
Explore our projects, where we work alongside innovators and industry to develop practical and creative solutions to some of the energy sector's most complex and time-critical challenges.
Foundational Systems Modelling for Bioenergy in Taranaki
Research is being done to quantify possible bioenergy opportunities in Taranaki and investigate how best to leverage these.
Impact Report 2025
Explore how New Zealand’s energy innovators are driving change and shaping a cleaner, smarter future in the 2025 Impact Report
Franklin Energy Sharing Pilot
The Franklin Energy Sharing Pilot explores how communities can benefit from solar generation and battery storage that is not located on their properties.
Flexibility Baselining Research
The Flexibility Baselining Research is a report that explores and reviews different baselining methods used globally for modelling flexibility demand response.
Cetogenix: Energy and Nutrient Hub
Cetogenix are improving the way we turn organic waste into renewable energy and green fertilisers.
Fusion energy with OpenStar Technologies
Ara Ake is supporting OpenStar with upgrades to its half-tonne, doughnut-shaped magnet, known as Junior.
Solar electric hot water trial
OneEnergy.nz are providing affordable energy through solar electric hot water technology.
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Community Energy Activator
The Taranaki Community Energy Activator will run from 16 September-9 December 2025, and helps individuals and groups develop project plans and business models for community energy success.
Stralis Aircraft and Fabrum
Ara Ake is supporting Stralis Aircraft and Fabrum in a collaboration to enable Australasia’s first liquid-hydrogen-powered flight.
Aspiring Materials
Aspiring Materials is a New Zealand cleantech company who has developed world first technology to produce a local supply of clean critical minerals.
How Lastmyle optimises classroom heating and cooling
Lastmyle tackles the ‘last mile’ of the electricity grid and is driving change in New Zealand schools.
Barriers to flexibility uptake from the innovators' perspective
Read about why a fully functioning flexibility market is so important for our energy system, and the fund that Ara Ake has launched to help flexibility service providers reach their goals.
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Ara Ake National Flex Discovery Fund
Ara Ake has distributed up to $1 million in grants to accelerate the commercialisation of flexibility innovation in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Blackcurrent: Farmlands FLEX & SIDE Grid Hub
Blackcurrent is driving energy equity in rural Aotearoa New Zealand through modern microgrid solutions that serve farmers and growers, orchards, lifestyle blocks and schools.
Value Stacking: Application of BESS to many typical use cases
How can Battery Energy Storage Solutions (BESS) be made commercially viable in New Zealand? Read our latest report, developed in collaboration with EECA and Sapere.
Rewiring Aotearoa Machine Count
There are 10 million fossil fuel machines in New Zealand. Almost all of them are technically feasible to electrify now. 84% have readily available, cost-effective alternatives available in the country.
CentrePort Battery Energy Storage Pilot
CentrePort is tackling the challenge of decarbonising its operations by electrifying heavy vehicles and piloting innovative energy solutions.
Impact Report 2024
Showcasing the progress we’ve made with our partners in driving solutions aligned with our shared vision of a resilient, sustainable and equitable energy future.
Queenstown Flex Challenge
The Queenstown-Lakes District is undergoing rapid economic growth and electrification, driving the need for significant new investments in transmission and distribution infrastructure.
Transpower Flex Visibility Project
A project to explore ways to enhance the visibility, coordination and measurement of flexibility resources for market participants and SO control room coordinators.
Kāinga Ora Multiple Trading Trial
Ara Ake has been collaborating with New Zealand's public housing provider, Kāinga Ora, to launch the Multiple Trading Relationships trial for homes equipped with solar panels in the Wellington region.
Community Energy How-To-Guide
This guide is written by passionate advocates of community energy, to inspire you and help you in your community energy journey.
Raukawa Energy Innovation Project
This project highlights the outcomes of an initiative in South Waikato where temperature sensors were installed in homes to monitor exposure to cold, aiming to address energy hardship through data-driven strategies.
Flexviz
Flexviz uses an OpenADR-based platform to connect flexibility suppliers with electricity network operators, enabling real-time visibility of resources. With 40 MW onboarded, Flexviz helps optimise the use of flexible energy solutions across Aotearoa.
Decarbonising Aviation
Can flying become a sustainable way to travel across Aotearoa if we re-imagine how planes are powered? Ara Ake has conducted an in-depth technical analysis on three options to replace fossil-based jet fuel.
Ara Ake EDB Challenge
As Aotearoa New Zealand moves towards a low-emission energy future, the EDB Challenge aims to find innovative solutions to electrification challenges faced by electricity distribution businesses.
Multiple Trading Relationships
Ara Ake is leading a programme of trials and research considering how Multiple Trading Relationships might benefit New Zealand households, businesses and communities, and help to integrate distributed energy resources into the electricity system.
Carbon Dioxide Removal and Usage
Find out about carbon capture, utilisation and storage in Aotearoa New Zealand, through Ara Ake's independent report and forum.
Winter Peak Innovation Pilot
The Winter Peak Innovation Pilot sought to demonstrate that distributed energy resources in the form of residential solar batteries can be dispatched into the electricity market to address winter peak events where the forecast capacity residual is tight.
Offshore wind industry capability mapping study
Taranaki Offshore Partnership engaged Concept Consulting to undertake an Industry Capability Mapping Study.
