Lodestone Energy has officially switched on Te Herenga o Te Rā, New Zealand’s latest and largest agrivoltaics solar farm, developed in partnership with global solar technology company Trinasolar.
Located along the Waiotahe River in the Ōpōtiki District, the 42 megawatt peak solar farm will deliver around 69 gigawatt-hours of clean energy annually – enough to power nearly 10,000 homes.
The project is also the first solar development in the country to connect directly to the national grid.
Built on a former dairy farm, Te Herenga o Te Rā is designed as a dual-use site, enabling future sheep grazing beneath elevated solar modules.
This approach, known as agrivoltaics, supports renewable energy generation while preserving agricultural land use.
Lodestone Energy’s Managing Director Gary Holden said the project builds on the company’s long-term partnership with Trinasolar.
“Trinasolar’s high-quality modules, robust supply chain, and on-ground support have been instrumental in making this project a success—our third collaboration with them,” Holden said.
“With these three projects at full generation, we can power around 25,000 Kiwi homes each year.”
Trinasolar’s Head of Australia and New Zealand, Edison Zhou, said the project demonstrated how renewable energy and agriculture can complement each other.
“Te Herenga o Te Rā is a standout example of how solar and agriculture can work together seamlessly, and we look forward to supporting more innovative projects in this space,” Zhou said.
Lodestone began construction in December 2023 and reached first generation just one year later. The company credits the fast pace to improved efficiencies gained from its previous two agrivoltaics projects in Kaitaia and Edgecumbe.
Lodestone plans to reinstate fencing and livestock infrastructure before introducing a new grazing lessee to Te Herenga o Te Rā later this year.
Once complete, the project will add to Lodestone’s growing contribution toward New Zealand’s zero-carbon targets and help set a new global benchmark for large-scale agrivoltaics.
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