Smart Commercial Energy was incredibly proud to be recognised with the Outstanding Member Award at the 2026 Smart Energy Council Gala Awards, one of the clean energy sector’s biggest nights of the year.
With more than 600 people from across Australia’s renewable energy industry gathered in the room, it was a pretty special moment to hear our name called out.
Our Founder and Managing Director Huon Hoogesteger accepted the award alongside Kathryn Hoogesteger, General Manager, representing not just the business itself but the incredible people, partners, customers and industry relationships that have helped shape Smart over the past 14 years.
To say we were excited would be an understatement.
This award means a lot because it recognises something bigger than projects or megawatts. It recognises contribution to industry - the conversations, advocacy, education, collaboration and willingness to help move the sector forward which have always mattered deeply to us.
From the very beginning, Smart has never wanted to simply “participate” in the renewable energy industry. We’ve wanted to help shape it. Sometimes that has meant pioneering new commercial models like PPAs. Sometimes it has meant tackling projects others considered too difficult. Sometimes it has meant investing heavily in education, events, resources and thought leadership to help businesses better understand where energy is heading and what it means for them.
And increasingly, it has meant helping lead conversations around batteries, electrification, carbon reporting, microgrids and energy resilience for Australian businesses.
The award also reflects the role Smart has played beyond our own commercial projects, including via our OneSun initiative in the Pacific.
Over the years we’ve worked closely with industry bodies, suppliers, customers and partners to support the broader growth of clean energy in Australia. Whether that’s contributing to events and webinars, supporting women in renewables initiatives, sharing practical insights from the field, or helping advocate for smarter policy and better industry outcomes, we’ve always believed that a stronger industry benefits everyone.
That’s one of the reasons our relationship with the Smart Energy Council has been so valuable.
While we’ve formally been members for the past 18 months, our involvement with the wider sector and its people stretches back much further. We see industry participation as a responsibility, not a logo on a slide deck.
What made the night even more meaningful was the calibre of people and organisations in the room. Australia’s clean energy sector is full of smart, passionate people doing important work, so to be recognised by our peers in that environment was genuinely humbling.
Most of all, this award belongs to our team.
The engineers, project managers, electricians, operations staff, marketers, salespeople, support teams and leaders who care deeply about what they do every day. The people willing to solve hard problems, challenge assumptions, back new ideas and keep pushing standards higher.
Clean energy is changing rapidly, and so is the role businesses like ours need to play within it.
This award feels less like a finish line and more like encouragement to keep going.
There is still so much work to do, and we’re excited for what comes next.