OptiGrid, an Australian battery optimisation and trading intelligence platform, has partnered with Acacia Energy to accelerate the deployment of battery storage for commercial and industrial (C&I) customers.
The collaboration will enable Acacia Energy’s C&I customers to access OptiGrid’s OptiBidder platform, which uses AI-powered forecasting and optimisation algorithms to maximise revenue from battery energy storage operations in the National Electricity Market (NEM).
Acacia Energy is an Australian renewable energy solutions company that specialises in energy optimisation for C&I customers, particularly in energy-intensive sectors like cold storage, agriculture and manufacturing.
Under the partnership agreement, Acacia Energy will resell OptiGrid’s OptiBidder platform to support its C&I and grid-connected battery storage customers participating in the NEM.
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The partnership extends sophisticated optimisation and bidding services, which have historically been available only to large-scale renewable energy developers, to the commercial, industrial, and sub-5MW battery segments.
“Our partnership with Acacia Energy is a step forward in demonstrating how we’re making battery optimisation and trading intelligence more accessible to asset owners, developers and operators,” said Sahand Karimi, CEO of OptiGrid.
“Australia’s distribution networks are full of battery development potential. With greater value capture and smarter optimisation, the C&I and sub-5MW segments stand out as a major opportunity.”
Karimi emphasised the partnership’s role in supporting distributed battery development: “Working with Acacia Energy means we can support distributed battery developers and commercial customers to provide them with the insight and performance they need to invest confidently in batteries and accelerate Australia’s clean energy transition.”
The OptiBidder platform incorporates AI-powered forecasting and optimisation algorithms specifically designed to optimise battery operations for maximum revenue generation in the NEM.
The platform’s algorithms aim to maximise returns for battery operators by optimising when to charge, discharge, and participate in various market mechanisms available within Australia’s electricity market structure.
Stephen Thomson, CEO of Acacia Energy, detailed the specific challenges facing large energy consumers across Australia: “Some of the largest energy users in Australia, such as cold storage, agriculture and manufacturing customers, are under significant pressure to reduce their operating costs in the face of high-power prices. By investing in batteries and rooftop solar, they can use energy stored for their day-to-day operations and trade any excess energy with the wholesale market.”
The partnership addresses a critical gap in the market where C&I customers require both battery storage solutions and sophisticated optimisation capabilities to ensure investment returns.
Traditional battery management approaches often fail to capture the full value potential available through strategic participation in the NEM’s complex electricity market mechanisms.
OptiGrid’s technology, which is oriented to the NEM, has proven particularly effective during periods of market volatility, where NEM-specific battery optimisers have captured more revenue during extreme price events.
Readers of Energy-Storage.news will likely be aware of OptiGrid’s involvement in the Australian energy storage market, as well as their insights. Karimi, a frequent interviewee on ESN Premium, recently highlighted that BESS projects in Australia’s NEM rarely operate under fully contracted arrangements, requiring sophisticated merchant market participation strategies to achieve target returns.
OptiGrid’s platform addresses these market-specific challenges through algorithms designed specifically for the NEM’s operational characteristics. Recent deployments have included partnerships with renewable energy operators, such as Hepburn Energy’s selection of OptiGrid to optimise their wind-battery hybrid system, mitigating negative power prices and maximising revenue capture.
OptiGrid, based in South Australia, has attracted investment from IP Group, Clean Energy Finance Corporation, HostPlus, UNSW, University of Adelaide, and Energy Lab. The company’s investor base includes both financial institutions and research organisations.
