Trinasolar, a global leader in smart photovoltaic (PV) and energy storage solutions, has successfully completed the construction of the Rangitaiki Solar Farm in collaboration with Lodestone Energy. This landmark project marks a significant milestone in New Zealand’s renewable energy landscape, setting a new standard for grid-scale solar installations through the integration of expertise, innovative technology, and strategic partnerships.
Agrivoltaics: Maximizing Land Use
The Rangitaiki Solar Farm stands out for its integration of agrivoltaics, a practice that combines agriculture with solar energy production. This approach addresses local community concerns about land use by maintaining approximately 80% of grass productivity, allowing sheep to graze comfortably under the elevated solar modules.
“Agrivoltaics addresses local community concerns regarding land use. By integrating solar farms with agricultural activities, Lodestone Energy can maintain approximately 80% of grass productivity, ensuring that the land continues to support local farming needs,” explained Gary Holden, Managing Director of Lodestone Energy.
The farm utilizes nearly 60,000 bi-facial Trinasolar Vertex modules mounted on TrinaTracker’s Vanguard 2P tracker systems. This setup not only boosts energy production, with a capacity of 32 MW generating enough electricity to power 7,500 Kiwi homes annually, but also supports sustainable farming practices.
“From a pasture management perspective, the 2P trackers are ideal. They allow animals to move freely under the modules without confinement, providing essential shade and promoting continuous grass growth even during dry conditions,” added Edison Zhou, Head of Australia, New Zealand, and Pacific Islands at Trinasolar Asia Pacific.
Innovative Solutions and Strategic Partnerships
The project’s success is attributed to Trinasolar’s role as a total solutions provider, offering both solar modules and trackers. This integrated model allowed for rapid resolution of technical queries and a streamlined installation process, crucial for the project’s completion within eight months.
Nick Murray, Program Delivery Manager at Lodestone Energy, highlighted the pioneering nature of this setup, “The 2P setup was initially perceived as a risk since no one had done it in New Zealand before. However, having a total solutions supplier like Trinasolar allowed us to get answers to our questions quickly. This collaboration was one of the greatest benefits, as we learned how to deliver grid-scale solar in New Zealand, with the robust support of Trinasolar.”
One of the project’s challenges was the logistics of transporting approximately 200 shipping containers of modules and equipment to New Zealand. Trinasolar’s position as the sole vendor facilitated better tracking and management of logistics, significantly simplifying the process.
“Having a single vendor made tracking and managing logistics much easier. Once on-site, having one provider for installation ensured compatibility and minimized potential issues that might have arisen with multiple suppliers. The ease of installing Trinasolar’s trackers, along with their expert support, was crucial in achieving this milestone in just eight months,” said Murray.
Pioneering Agrivoltaic Initiatives
The Rangitaiki Solar Farm also serves as a testbed for various agrivoltaic initiatives, including the trial cultivation of crops like strawberries between the rows of solar modules. This method optimizes land use and enhances the efficiency of bifacial solar modules by reflecting sunlight onto the modules.
“Our goal is to support local agriculture and foster collaboration. We’re in early discussions with universities to trial various agrivoltaic techniques. The Rangitaiki Solar Farm will serve as a prototype for these initiatives, allowing us to develop and refine our practices,” said Murray.
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