Electricity from Kaitāia solar farm to power big-box retailers

An aerial view of Lodestone’s 80 hectare solar farm taking shape on Gills Rd, near Kaitāia, that could end up powering big box retail stores from Kaitāia to Invercargill.

Electricity produced at a massive Far North solar farm could end up powering big-box retail stores from Kaitāia to Invercargill.

Kiwi company Lodestone Energy, which is building the country’s largest solar farm on Gills Rd, just a few kilometres from central Kaitāia, as well as solar farms near Dargaville and elsewhere in the country, has signed a long-term deal with The Warehouse Group to supply power to its stores across the country.

The deal is for all New Zealand sites where The Warehouse Group purchases electricity directly - including sites occupied by The Warehouse, Warehouse Stationery, Noel Leeming and Torpedo7 stores and its distribution centres and store support offices, including its Kaitāia and Waipapa branches.

Lodestone Energy is constructing a massive solar farm which has about 60 hectares of solar panels on 80ha in Gills Rd, about 3km northwest of Kaitāia. It’s on track to deliver its first input of power to the national grid in November and be fully operational in December.

When fully finished, is expected to generate 55GWh (gigawatt hours) a year, making it New Zealand’s biggest solar power station. Lodestone is also building a solar farm near Dargaville.

Lodestone Energy’s managing director Gary Holden said the Warehouse Group agreement is just one example of the bold deals the company is looking to make to help reduce the country’s dependence on fossil fuels.

“The Warehouse Group’s operational hours are a great match for solar energy. When their stores are at their busiest, the sun’s energy is at its peak. With the sophistication of the New Zealand market, this arrangement is akin to locating solar panels on top of The Warehouse Group sites but at a lower cost, with faster deployment and without the limitation of the physical space of a rooftop,” Holden said.

“You do not get many opportunities to work with companies this serious about sustainability and we are very proud to help the group’s work toward this milestone.”

Lodestone Energy, working with a retail service provider, will implement market-leading metering and billing techniques to enable Lodestone’s optimally-located solar farm production to offset the demand of The Warehouse Group’s stores from Kaitāia to Invercargill.

The Warehouse Group’s chief executive Nick Grayston is delighted to be working with Lodestone Energy on this innovative solar agreement.

In addition to significant environmental upsides, the agreement will deliver flexibility and provide financial benefits to The Warehouse Group through a competitive pricing structure.