Trinasolar Celebrates Success of Rangitaiki Solar Farm

As an integrated total solutions provider, Trinasolar has demonstrated its capacity to deliver comprehensive renewable energy solutions, from solar modules to trackers, ensuring the highest standards of quality and efficiency.

July 19, 2024. By News Bureau

Trinasolar announce the successful completion of the construction of the Rangitaiki Solar Farm, located the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand. In collaboration with Lodestone Energy, this landmark project marks another significant milestone in New Zealand's renewable energy landscape by seamlessly integrating expertise, innovative technology, and strategic partnerships - setting a new standard for grid-scale solar installations in New Zealand.

As an integrated total solutions provider, Trinasolar has demonstrated its capacity to deliver comprehensive renewable energy solutions, from solar modules to trackers, ensuring the highest standards of quality and efficiency.

“Agrivoltaics addresses local community concerns regarding land use. By integrating solar farms with agricultural activities, Lodestone Energy can maintain approximately 80 percent of grass productivity, ensuring that the land continues to support local farming needs,” explained Gary Holden, Managing Director of Lodestone Energy.

Agrivoltaics, the practice of integrating agriculture with solar energy production, is at the forefront of the Rangitaiki Solar Farm's design, heralding a new era of renewable energy.

Utilising nearly 60,000 bi-facial Trinasolar Vertex modules mounted on TrinaTracker’s Vanguard 2P tracker systems, the farm maximises land use efficiency by allowing sheep to graze comfortably underneath the elevated modules. This innovative dual-use approach 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, providing mutual benefits for both the energy and agriculture sectors in New Zealand.

"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.

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.”

Tags:

Rangitaiki Solar Farm

Innovative technology

Solar installations

Renewable energy solutions

Solar energy production

Electricity