By David Hill for LDR
A “community scale solar farm” has been lit up in North Canterbury.
Auckland-based Lightyears Solar Ltd commissioned an 8ha solar farm on Tram Road at Swannanoa, near Rangiora, earlier this month. It will produce around 5MW—enough to power about 1000 homes.
The project was granted resource consent by the Waimakariri District Council last year.
“Our ethos is community scale solar farms,” Lightyears Solar founder Matt Shanks said. “Five to 15 hectares fits in with existing communities without taking over the landscape. That scale could work well for small towns all around New Zealand and support the resilience of local networks.”
The power will be fed into the local MainPower energy network. Lightyears Solar also worked with MainPower on another project last year—a 7.3MW solar farm on a 10ha site on Thongcaster Road at Eyrewell, near Oxford—producing enough electricity to power 1250 homes.
The company has several projects under way or in the pipeline. Work is progressing on an 18ha solar farm at Reefton, while smaller developments are planned near Ashburton. Two more projects are expected in the North Island next year, and Mr Shanks said there could be opportunities to return to North Canterbury.
“There will always be a landowner who has a couple of paddocks which aren’t as productive, so they may be looking for an alternative use,” he said.
Shanks said solar panels were compatible with some types of farming, with sheep, pigs and calves often grazing around them. “It doesn’t work so well with the larger dairy cows, but sheep and pigs like the shade under the panels on a hot day. We do get the odd nosy calf which is curious, but we design the panels for that.”
He said consenting, design and planning typically took 12 to 18 months, while construction of 5–15ha solar farms took about six months. Solar generation dropped by about 50 percent on cloudy days and around 40–50 percent in winter, but battery storage could hold power for use during evening peaks for two to four hours.
Other solar farms have been proposed in North Canterbury, including sites at Sefton and Waipara. An 80ha proposal by Energy Bay Ltd on Upper Sefton Road received 88 submissions after being notified last year, but has since been placed on hold at the applicant’s request.
In the Hurunui district, a 181ha solar farm proposed by Far North Solar Farm Ltd on Waipara Flat Road attracted 158 submissions. A hearing is scheduled to begin at the Omihi Community Hall on May 12.
The Waimakariri and Hurunui district councils have been contacted for comment.
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
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