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 1000 homes.

The project was granted a 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 worked with MainPower on another solar farm project, a 7.3MW solar farm on a 10ha site on Thongcaster Road at Eyrewell, near Oxford, last year.

It will produce enough electricity to power 1250 homes.

Lightyears Solar has worked on several solar farm projects around the country.

Work is under way on an 18ha solar farm at Reefton, while smaller solar farms are planned near Ashburton.

Two more projects are in the pipeline in the North Island next year and Mr Shanks said there could be opportunities to return to North Canterbury in the future.

‘‘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.’’

Mr Shanks said solar panels were compatible with livestock farming and cropping, with sheep, pigs and calves often grazing around them.

‘‘It doesn’t work so well with the larger dairy cows, but the sheep and pigs like getting 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.’’

Mr Shanks said the consenting, design and planning took about 12 to 18 months, while the build took about six months on 5-15ha solar farms.
Solar energy reduced by about 50 percent on cloudy days, and dropped by around 40-50% in the winter.

With battery storage, power could be stored to provide electricity for two to four hours in the evening.

Other solar farms have been proposed in North Canterbury at Sefton and Waipara.

An 80ha solar farm resource consent application by Energy Bay Ltd on Upper Sefton Road was notified by the Waimakariri District Council last year, with 88 submissions received.

The application has since been placed on hold at the request of the applicant.

The Hurunui District Council notified a resource consent application last year from Far North Solar Farm Ltd to build a 181ha solar farm on Waipara Flat Road, with 158 submissions received.

A hearing is due to be held in the Omihi Community Hall, beginning 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.