New Zealand Smart Grid Forum
Established in 2014, the Smart Grid Forum's new focus is to host lectures, workshops and panel discussions for the electricity industry.
On this page
A platform for sharing knowledge
Since the Forum was established in 2014, the context has changed. Many agencies and businesses are now actively considering smart grid issues, including a number of new advisory groups and working groups exploring the smart grid space.
One of the most valuable aspects of the Forum was the platform for sharing knowledge and providing a base for coherent discussion. Therefore we will maintain this platform with lectures, workshops and panel discussions.
Discussion topics and speakers
We are keen to hear your ideas for discussion topics and engaging speakers relevant to changes and emerging trends in New Zealand’s electricity and gas sectors. Lectures could cover 1 or more of the following issues:
- policy/regulation
- networks
- new entrants
- markets
- technology
- consumers.
We would like to hear from you how best to link these lectures into other work that’s going on in New Zealand eg, current work underway by agencies like the Commerce Commission or Electricity Authority.
Send your suggestions to us at smartgridforum@mbie.govt.nz.
Just as the early Forum was co-funded by industry and government, we’re keen to keep this type of collaboration going. The more joint funding the industry provides for the Forum, the more events it will be able to run.
Previous lectures and panel discussions
Presentations and recordings of lectures, workshops and panel discussions that have taken place under the banner of the Smart Grid Forum.
Smart Grid Forum presentations playlist(external link) (on You Tube)
2017 lectures, workshops and panel discussions
- The UK's Smart Systems and Flexibility Plan [PDF, 967 KB]
Andy Burgess, Ofgem - Energiewende: the German Energy Transition [PDF, 1.2 MB]
Tina Schirr, BusinessNZ Energy Council - No Change, All Change [PDF, 4.6 MB]
John Scott, Chiltern Power (UK) - Is the electricity spot market robust [PDF, 279 KB]
Professor Lew Evans, Victoria University of Wellington - World Energy Outlook 2016 [PDF, 594 KB]
Dr Fatih Birol, International Energy Agency
Smart Grid Forum investigations
Smart Grid Forum investigation into how smart grid developments can support emissions reductions in New Zealand.
Smart Grid Forum investigation considering how New Zealand’s smart grid developments are progressing:
Supporting studies by Otago University’s Centre for Sustainability:
- Prosumer collectives: A review [PDF, 1.2 MB]
- Smart Grid Edge Technologies: Case Studies of Early Adopters [PDF 698KB](external link)
- Smart homes: What New Zealanders think, and want [PDF 4.2MB](external link)
How the Forum was established
The Smart Grid Forum was established by us, with the support of the Electricity Networks Association. It brought together relevant parties from business, scientific and academic circles, along with policy makers, regulators and consumers.
The Forum’s objective was to advance the development of smart electricity networks in New Zealand through information sharing and dialogue, supported by analysis and focused work-streams where these were considered appropriate.
The Forum successfully ran for 2 years with Chairs Paul Atkins (2014 – 2015) and Janet Stephenson (2016), and John Hancock as Secretariat.