The Te Herengao Te Rā solar farm in New Zealand, supplied by Trina Solar and built by Lodestone Energy, has been successfully connected to the grid. Located in the Ōpōtiki district, the 42 MWp project generates an average of 69 GWh annually, enough to power about 10,000 homes. It is one of New Zealand's largest agrivoltaic projects and the first directly connected to the national grid.

The solar panels provide shade for sheep, improving summer survival rates, while reducing mechanical weeding and carbon emissions. Completed ahead of schedule in late 2024, it is the third agrivoltaic collaboration between Trina Solar and Lodestone Energy, bringing their combined installed capacity to nearly 100 MW. Lodestone Energy's Managing Director Gary Holden praised Trina Solar's efficient modules and supply chain support; tenant Connor Dent highlighted the dual benefits of agri-PV.

Zhou Zhichao, Head of Australia and New Zealand at Trina Solar, noted growing global interest in agrivoltaics.

This project presents a twofold opportunity for New Zealand SME owners. In agriculture, the agrivoltaic model can lower operating costs: solar panels provide shade for sheep, reducing heat stress mortality, while eliminating mechanical weeding costs. In energy, additional electricity revenue can diversify risk from agricultural income volatility, particularly for farms with ample land.

However, high initial investment and reliance on government subsidies and electricity pricing policies must be considered. Collaboration with Chinese solar companies may offer technical support and financing channels, but supply chain stability needs evaluation. This project validates the viability of agrivoltaics; SMEs can follow similar demonstration projects and explore small-scale pilots, but should avoid blindly following the trend.

In future, electricity retailers may offer customised power purchase agreements to provide farms with stable cash flows.

Keywords: Trina Solar, Lodestone Energy, New Zealand, agrivoltaics, solar sheep, grid-connected power generation, clean energy, agricultural PV

天合光能供货、Lodestone Energy建设的新西兰光伏园Te Herengao Te Rā成功并网发电。项目位于奥波蒂基区，装机容量42MWp，年均发电量69GWh，可满足约1万户家庭用电，是新西兰最大的农光互补项目之一，也是首个直接接入国家电网的光伏项目。光伏板为羊群提供遮蔽，提升夏季存活率，同时减少机械除草和碳排放。

该项目于2024年底提前竣工，是天合光能与Lodestone Energy合作的第三个农光互补项目，双方总装机量已接近100MW。Lodestone Energy总经理Gary Holden称赞天合光能高效组件和供应链支持；承租人Connor Dent表示光伏农业带来双重益处。天合光能澳大利亚和新西兰负责人周之超称，光伏农业日益受全球关注。

此项目对新西兰中小企业主意味着两重机会。农业方面，农光互补模式可降低运营成本：光伏板为羊群提供阴凉，减少热应激死亡率，同时免去机械除草费用。能源方面，额外发电收入可分散农业收入波动风险，尤其适合土地充裕的牧场。

但需注意初始投资高，且依赖政府补贴与电价政策。此外，与中国光伏企业合作可能获得技术支持和融资渠道，但需评估供应链稳定性。该项目验证了农光互补的可行性，中小企业可关注类似示范，探索小规模试点，但应避免盲目跟风。

未来，电力零售商或可推出定制化购电协议，为农场主提供稳定现金流。

关键词: 天合光能, Lodestone Energy, 新西兰, 农光互补, 光伏羊, 并网发电, 清洁能源, 光伏农业

Photo by Hoan Ngọc on Pexels

Source: Sohu