Electrify for Business – Hutt Valley is a new three-part event series delivered by Electrify the Hutt in partnership with the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, the Sustainable Business Network, Rewiring Aotearoa, and both the Hutt City and Upper Hutt Councils. This series is made possible through the generous support of our sponsor Seven Electrical.
Designed specifically for business owners and commercial building stakeholders, the series moves from practical introduction, to real-world examples, to strategic decision-making.
While each event can be attended independently, the series is structured to deliver the greatest value to those who participate in multiple sessions.
The series will start with seminars in both Lower and Upper Hutt to introduce business and building owners to electrification and the opportunities this may provide.
These will be followed by presentations of case studies to hear from business owners or operators who have already embarked on their electrification journey and can share their experiences.
The series will wrap up with a symposium presented by experts who will talk about regulatory, financial and strategic issues before answering questions from attendees.
Event 1 – Two Seminars (Lower Hutt & Upper Hutt)
Title:
Electrify for Business: Getting Started
Subtitle:
What electrification means for your business, your energy bills, and your bottom line
Duration:
60 minutes (8 – 9 am; early morning - business-friendly)
Dates:
Lower Hutt: Wednesday 3rd June, Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce (Register here)
Upper Hutt: Thursday 2nd July, Upper Hutt Cosmopolitan Club (Register here)
These breakfast seminar sessions are free to attend. Light refreshments will be provided.
Description:
Commercial electrification is no longer a future concept—it’s already delivering lower operating costs, improved resilience, and better long-term asset value for businesses across the Hutt Valley.
This practical, one-hour seminar is designed for business owners, landlords, and commercial property managers who want a clear, no-nonsense introduction to electrification.
We’ll cover:
- What “electrification” means in a commercial context
- Where businesses typically start (HVAC, hot water, vehicles, process heat)
- Indicative costs, payback periods, and common pitfalls
- How to assess whether your business or building is a good candidate
Each session will have three speakers focusing on a particular topic followed by questions from the floor. Topics will be:
- Commercial electrification challenges
- Business and finance perspective
- Government policy and regulations
This session is the ideal entry point into the Electrify for Business series and provides essential context for the case studies and symposium that follow. Series participants need attend only one of these sessions.
Call to action:
Attend this seminar to get the foundations, then see real-world examples and deeper insights at the following events.
Event 2 – Case Studies (Lower Hutt & Upper Hutt)
Title:
Electrify for Business: On the Ground
Subtitle:
Case studies looking at lessons from businesses already electrifying
Timing:
Afternoon (3 – 6 pm; 2 hours of presentations followed by individual discussions )
Dates:
Wednesday 19th August, (Boulcott Farm) and
Thursday 17th September (NZCIS, Trentham)
There will be a charge of $30 (plus GST) per person registering for either of these events.
Description:
What does business electrification look like in practice?
This case study session takes participants inside local businesses that have already begun their electrification journey, offering real-world insights that you won’t get from a slide deck.
You’ll hear directly from business owners and operators about:
- Why they chose to electrify
- What worked—and what they would do differently
- Actual operational changes and benefits
- Lessons learned around installation, disruption, and staff engagement
There will be a networking and discussion session following the case study presentations, with refreshments provided to enable participants an opportunity to explore ideas presented in more detail.
These events build directly on the introductory seminars and prepare attendees for the deeper strategic discussion at the symposium. Series participants need attend only one of these sessions.
Call to action:
Best attended after the “Getting Started” seminar to get the most value from the case study discussions.
Event 3 – Half-Day Symposium
Title:
Electrify for Business: Strategy & Scale
Subtitle:
Commercial electrification at scale – finance, regulation, and future planning
Format:
Half-day (3 – 7 pm) | Speakers + panel + Q&A (3 hours), followed by discussion.
Date:
Wednesday 14th October, Angus Inn, Lower Hutt,
There will be a charge of $60 (plus GST) per person registering for this event
Description
The final event in the Electrify for Business series brings together industry experts, financiers, engineers, and business leaders to explore what commercial electrification looks like at scale.
Topics will include:
- Strategic planning for multi-building portfolios
- Financing options and investment decision-making
- Regulatory drivers and future-proofing assets
- Grid capacity, on-site generation, and resilience
A moderated panel and extended Q&A will allow attendees to explore issues specific to their own businesses and properties.
There will be a keynote speaker ranging across the topics above, followed by three panels, each with a particular theme, answering curated questions.
The three panels will have the following themes:
- Commercial Reality - What actually works in commercial electrification
- Business & Finance - Making electrification stack up financially
- The Local View - What this means for Hutt Valley businesses
There will be a networking and discussion session following the panel Q&A, with refreshments provided to enable participants an opportunity to explore ideas presented in more detail.
This symposium is designed to consolidate learning from the earlier events and support informed, confident next steps.
Call to action:
Participants who attend the full series will gain the clearest picture of how electrification can work for their own business or building.