We support innovators to commercialise their energy solutions by offering a range of tailored services and providing a pathway to success.

We support New Zealand energy innovators by offering the following services

Funding

Project management

Field demonstration

Capability development

Regulatory guidance

Global partnerships

View our projects and case studies

Ara Ake is focused on supporting energy innovators with viable decarbonisation solutions to commercialise quickly, for the benefit of all New Zealanders. View some case studies (below) of innovators who have been working with Ara Ake.

Multiple Trading Relationships

Since 2021, Ara Ake has supported several Multiple Trading Relationships trials as well as targeted research into the costs and benefits of enabling the model within the New Zealand electricity market.

Raukawa Energy Innovation Project

This report 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.

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.

Total Cost of Ownership: Freightways Ltd. Case Study

Ara Ake has constructed a tool which allows the user to calculate the total cost of ownership for a wider variety of fuel and vehicle combinations across a standardised trip. This case study, commissioned by AUT, validates the tool in a real-world environment.

Winter Peak Innovation Pilot

This report highlights the learnings and insights gained from the Winter Peak Innovation Pilot. The 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.

Electricity Distribution Business (EDB) Challenge

Ara Ake collaborated with 8 electricity distribution businesses (EDBs) to help transition New Zealand towards an equitable, secure, and decarbonised energy future by undertaking a global search for innovators with the technology solutions.

Empower Energy

Empower Energy is a Charitable Trust that aims to address energy affordability by sharing surplus renewable energy with those in need.

Emrod

Emrod is an Auckland-based company re-imagining the movement of energy and overcoming the limitations of power line infrastructure with their long distance wireless power beaming solution

FlexForum

The goal of the FlexForum is to create a set of actions to integrate distributed energy resources into the electricity system and markets to maximise the benefits for Aotearoa New Zealand.