AWARDS FINALIST: Fonterra – NZDC energy optimisation
16 Aug 2023Fonterra's goal to reduce its environmental impact across all levels of its organisation saw it embark in August 2020 on an energy-saving project centred on its storage business unit. New Zealand Distribution Centres operates 24 ambient and 13 cool storage facilities across New Zealand capable of storing up to 500,000 pallets of product. A team of 872 delivers 24,000 containers and 2.17 million tonnes of product to customers around the world annually.
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AWARDS FINALIST: solarZero – power system stability
15 Aug 2023SolarZero achieved a world first in late 2022 when it provided frequency response from 3200 household battery systems. Each micro-computer in the firm's household solar and battery system observes frequency and instructs the battery to respond to any dip in frequency within milliseconds. Using machine learning, solarZero estimates the amount of reserve available from each battery for each half-hour trading period and combines those to provide an overall reserve offer to grid operator Transpower.
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AWARDS FINALIST: TLC enables iwi energy solutions
14 Aug 2023The Lines Company (TLC) collaborated with post-settlement agency Te Nehenehenui Trust, Ecotricity and the marae community to provide equitable, community-based renewable energy solutions. The partnership between TLC and Te Nehenehenui (TNN) has seen a targeted whānau-based service extend beyond solar panels to the sharing of energy on a peer-to-peer trading platform. The scheme focuses on sustainability and energy education and includes in-home energy assessments to deliver positive outcomes for the community of Mōkau. Solar
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AWARDS FINALIST: Tina Frew – Meridian Energy
11 Aug 2023Tina Frew is an established professional with proven capability in developing and executing strategy, and an ability to bring together diverse stakeholder groups. Meridian Energy says she has demonstrated skill at advancing complex challenges into clear and achievable pathways. Frew's 10-plus years' experience in the energy sector stretches across operational, engineering, strategy and sustainability roles. She became Meridian's head of sustainability in 2021.
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AWARDS FINALIST: Octopus Energy – demand flexibility
10 Aug 2023Octopus Energy says its mission is to use technology to accelerate decarbonisation by shifting demand to lower-cost and lower-carbon times of the day without inconveniencing its customers. The company uses price signals and automated load control to shift consumption patterns. Time-of-use pricing encourages customers to shift their energy usage to off-peak periods. But to enable customers to shift more of their consumption, Octopus is automating and optimising electricity usage of hot water control cylinders, EVs and batteries.
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AWARDS FINALIST: ERANZ – EnergyMate
9 Aug 2023EnergyMate is a free energy coaching programme that is centred on strong, local relationships with community providers that include kaupapa Māori and Pasifika-led organisations. The programme's goal is to enable whānau to get the most out of their electricity. It is available through in-home energy coaching, community workshops, a remote phone/video call-based service, and through digital channels. ERANZ's objective in partnering with these community organisations is to build trust and create long-term, holistic benefit for clients, coaches, and their communities.
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AWARDS FINALIST: Ngāwhā Generation
8 Aug 2023Ngāwhā Generation says a surprise threat from the Climate Change Commission provided an interruption to its business model for the better. Just a month after commissioning its third geothermal power station - OEC4 - in 2020, the commission recommended the closure of the entire Ngāwhā operation by 2030. Although the commission's final report withdrew that recommendation, the significant increase in the cost of carbon units foretold the closure of the business.
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AWARDS FINALIST: solarZero - community energy resilience
7 Aug 2023solarZero designs its solar and battery systems so that households have power for critical loads when the grid goes down. That resilience is an important element of the company's mission in "addressing climate change". Household solar and batteries will help move the country toward 100 per cent renewable electricity supply and reduce emissions. It will also help communities cope with the more extreme weather that climate change may bring. Put to the test
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AWARDS FINALIST: Contact Energy – retailer category
4 Aug 2023Contact has not been resting on its laurels since winning the Energy Retailer of the Year award in 2022. The company says the win set a benchmark for it to "further evolve, innovate and always look to improve customer service further." For 2022-23 that meant focusing on balancing customer empathy and value against profit to realise outcomes that would set it apart from the competition. Products
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AWARDS FINALIST: Ecogas – closing the food and energy loop
3 Aug 2023Ecogas says anaerobic digestion is an important tool to help deal with the significant challenge posed by the country's food waste. The company opened its flagship, state-of-the-art organics processing facility in Reporoa in October. It is the country's first commercial-scale anaerobic digestion facility and can process up to 75,000 tonnes of food waste and organic residue annually.
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