Australian energy software start-up lands Arena grant for EV charger rollout

Australian clean energy software provider Orkestra says it has secured $2.77 million in funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (Arena) to advance the deployment of commercial electric vehicle (EV) chargers across Australia.

The $2.77 million is part of a larger $5.5 million co-funded software project between AGL, Energy Australia, RACV, RAA, and CBRE to accelerate EV charger deployment.

Orkestra will develop a purpose-built software solution for EV charger projects which will enable businesses to analyse the feasibility of commercial EV charging stations, and track ongoing financial performance.

It says this will help fleet operators, public charging networks, and destination charging sites, providing “faster and more accurate feasibility studies and financial modelling” to support Australia’s EV adoption efforts.

“This will not only speed up deployment but also improve the profitability of assets, making EV charging a more attractive opportunity for businesses across Australia – similar to what we’ve seen in the C&I solar and battery segment over the last few years,” said James Allston, Orkestra co-CEO and co-founder.

The funding comes two years after Orkestra exited stealth mode and landed $1.1 million in funding to help expand its team and roll out its software across the country.

Funding from Arena is part of its Driving the Nation Program, an ongoing program developed to demonstrate and deploy new zero emissions vehicle technologies, and it is hoped that it will help ensure commercial EV charging can scale to meet growing demand.

“Orkestra’s feasibility modelling software will provide the tools needed by businesses to better understand the financial performance of EV chargers, ultimately accelerating their deployment and supporting our goals of decarbonising transport,” said Darren Miller, Arena CEO.

Orkestra is also currently on the lookout for potential users for their beta project and has one project partner opportunity available to an owner or operator of EV Charger assets. Find out more and register your interest here.