Spanning 6.1 hectares and equipped with 8000 bi-facial solar panels, the 5.2-megawatt Te Ihi o te Rā solar farm harnesses the power of the sun and generates approximately 7300MW of renewable energy annually — enough to power 1000 “typical” homes.
The energy generated by the solar panels feeds into the Firstlight Network grid, offering a greener alternative to conventional energy sources.
Eastland Generation’s goal is to produce 100 megawatts of renewable generation by 2027.
A report commissioned by Electricity Authority Te Mana Hiko shows the generation capacity of new renewable electricity projects committed across New Zealand in the last 18 months has doubled.
The Generation Investment Survey released last week shows 5000 Gigawatt hours (GWh) of new generation committed — up from 2600 GWh from the previous survey in July 2022.
The majority of the new committed investments are geothermal, solar or wind projects.
“It is heartening to see generators responding to market signals and committing to new generation projects over the last couple of years,” Electricity Authority chief executive Sarah Gillies said.
“Demand for electricity is growing as the country moves away from fossil fuels and more renewable sources of energy take their place.
“It is vital that this level of investment continues to support the economy’s electrified future.”
