Energise Ōtaki

Brighter futures

Energise Ōtaki is transforming how Ōtaki gets and uses energy.

Energise Ōtaki is powered by a vision of living in a town (and world) where there's enough good energy for everyone. ‘Enough’ meaning sufficient and efficient energy access for all, and ‘good’ meaning energy that promotes healthy outcomes for people and planet.

Energise Ōtaki Charitable Trust runs projects focusing on building renewable energy systems, bringing down carbon emissions, changing ‘waste’ into power and resources, and offering practical support and education to improve how energy is used. Combined, these projects help lower the town’s energy use and costs while improving community health and significantly reducing its contribution to climate change.

Energise Ōtaki projects include:

·         Power Up Ōtaki: Rau Kūmara (Ōtaki Wastewater Treatment Plant) and Ōtaki College solar farms, Whakahiko Ōtaki–Energise Ōtaki Fund (see below), and Ōtaki Energy Pulse.

·         Warm Up Ōtaki: A service to help make all homes warmer, drier and more energy efficient, free to Community Services Card holders.

·         Business Energy Service: A free service helping businesses including schools and charities identify opportunities for energy efficiency and more.

·         Ōtaki Repair Café: A regular event in which volunteers fix broken items, share skills and cake. Over 460 items were fixed at Ōtaki Repair Cafés in 2024.

·         Ōtaki Carbon Forests: A group of kaitiaki and landowners committed to planting permanent, mainly native forest to help Ōtaki become carbon neutral and biodiversity rich.

·         Ōtaki Bike Space: A space dedicated to revamping donated bikes and giving them away. Over 100 bicycles were rehomed in 2024.

·         Kai Power Ōtaki: A new pilot project using a biodigester to turn food scraps unsuitable for composting into fertiliser and biofuel.

Energise Ōtaki is supported by Kāpiti Coast District Council, the Nikau Foundation, Wellington Community Fund, Ōtaki College, and many others.

For more details and how to get involved: https://www.energiseotaki.nz/ 

Rau Kūmara Solar Farm and Whakahiko Ōtaki–Energise Ōtaki Fund

In 2020, Energise Ōtaki, with funding from the Wellington Community Trust, set up two solar systems to generate power for local use. 

  •        A 23kWp solar system is installed at and powers Ōtaki College.
  •        Rau Kūmara, a 107 kWp system, powers the Ōtaki Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Proceeds from selling this electricity make up the Whakahiko Ōtaki–Energise Ōtaki Fund.  This Fund is dispersed annually to support ‘energising’ community projects as diverse as solar panel making workshops, a film on housing, maara kai/ food gardens and more. 

For more information about funded projects, funding criteria, and how to apply, see https://www.energiseotaki.nz/whakahiko-fund

Solar Farm and Community Investment Fund
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