27 March 2024 – Trina Solar, a global leader in smart PV and energy storage solutions, proudly announces its collaboration with Lodestone Energy in the successful completion of the Kohirā solar farm, the largest solar farm in New Zealand to date. This is the first Trina Solar project in the Oceanic region to integrate both Trina Solar modules and TrinaTracker (a business unit of Trina Solar) smart tracking systems.
Covering 64 hectares in Kaitāia, the solar farm includes 61,000 Trina Solar Vertex 550W bifacial dual glass panels on TrinaTracker Vanguard 2P smart tracking systems, with 33MW DC capacity. This farm marks a major stride toward New Zealand’s renewable energy targets, expected to generate around 55GWh annually, powering over 7,770 households.
Trina Solar’s Tracker and Module Solution Optimizes Agrivoltaic Farming
The integration of Trina Solar’s ultra-high-power bifacial modules with Vanguard 2P trackers, powered by a smart algorithm optimizing the tracking angle, ensures maximum energy generation. Additionally, ample space between panel rows and a 2-meter tracker height facilitates agrivoltaic farming, allowing solar energy generation alongside agricultural activities. This is crucial in markets like New Zealand with large agricultural industries coupled with increasingly scarce land resources.
This monumental project underscores Trina Solar’s commitment to providing total solutions for smart energy. Installers benefit from having a single procurement source, streamlining processes, enabling faster delivery, smoother negotiations, and unified after-sales service. This reduces costs and ensures efficiency, particularly in challenging site conditions.
At the farm’s ‘Flick the Switch’ event, Edison Zhou, Head of Australia, New Zealand, and Pacific Islands, said: ” Our partnership has been characterized by close collaboration from the technical design phase to commissioning, overcoming challenges such as the cohesive-less soil at the site, where Vanguard 2P tracker’s low foundation count, and partnership with Lodestone Energy on foundation design, enabled us to overcome this obstacle together. We eagerly anticipate future collaborations, and are committed to delivering technological excellence, including modules, trackers, and energy storage systems, to advance New Zealand’s zero-carbon future.”
Gary Holden, Managing Director of Lodestone Energy, said, “Our third solar farm at Waiotahe is currently under construction, utilizing the latest Trina Solar panels and trackers again for optimal production. Our collaboration with Trina Solar enables us to fulfill our goal of supplying renewable energy solutions to more consumers in New Zealand, meeting their sustainability goals while ensuring economic stability.”
About Trina Solar
Founded in 1997, Trina Solar Co., Ltd. (stock symbol: Trina Solar; stock code: 688599) is mainly engaged in PV products, PV systems and smart energy. PV products include R&D, production and sales of PV modules. PV systems consist of power stations and system products. Smart energy mainly comprises PV power generation and operation & maintenance, smart solutions for energy storage, smart microgrid, and development and sales of multi-energy systems. With the strategic goal of “Creating a new industrial ecosystem led by Trina Solar, and promoting Trina Solar as a leader in smart PV and energy storage solutions “, we are committed to leading the way in smart PV and energy storage solutions and facilitating the transformation of new power systems for a net-zero future. On June 10, 2020, Trina Solar was listed on the Science and Technology Innovation Board (STAR Market) of the Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE). It is the first PV and energy storage company that has gone public on the STAR Market providing PV products and systems, as well as smart energy.
High-Res Images: New Zealand Kaitaia Lodestone Energy
Photo Credit: Lodestone Energy
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