Renewables developer Lightyears announced construction is now underway on the 13.5 MW Reefton Solar Farm being developed on the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island with JA Solar revealing the project also marks the first overseas deployment of its DeepBlue 5.0 modules.
The Chinese solar tech manufacturer will supply nearly 21,000 modules for the project being built across a 20-hectare site near the town of Reefton. Mechanical installation work is being led by contractor New Energy.
JA Solar said the deployment of its DeepBlue 5.0 modules in the “challenging conditions” of New Zealand’s West Coast demonstrates the capability of the n-type product in utility-scale applications.
“Reefton represents an important step in bringing our latest high-efficiency module technology to international markets,” the company said.
The 13.5 MW Reefton Solar Farm is expected to generate about 18 GWh of clean electricity annually, supplying energy to nearly 3,000 homes and businesses on the West Coast. New Zealand electricity gentailer Meridian Energy will purchase the project’s output under a power purchase agreement (PPA).
Lightyears co-founder and Director Matt Shanks said the Reefton solar project will support regional energy security and New Zealand’s long-term renewable energy transition.
“Building generation in this area helps improve electricity security for West Coast communities and businesses,” he said, adding that the company is “keen to work alongside local industry to better understand future energy needs and support opportunities for electrification and economic growth.”
For Lightyears, which specialises in distributed solar and energy projects, the Reefton project is its largest development to date and its fifth community-scale solar project.
Operational facilities include the 2.4 MW Waiuku and the 4.7 MW Carterton solar farms on New Zealand’s North Island, and the 7.2 MW Ashburton and the recently livened 5 MW Waimakariri solar farms on the South Island. It is also planning to break ground on additional projects this year.
Shanks said Lightyears’ solar farms, typically spanning between eight and 20 hectares, are designed to fit the scale and character of local landscapes and are intended to integrate with surrounding land uses.
“We complement the larger-scale solar farms, slotting into communities around the country and connecting to the local distribution networks,” he said.
“The size of our solar farms also mean they can be constructed quickly to provide renewable energy to the grid at a time when it’s desperately needed.”
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