Students and community learn about the power of solar farming

Celebrating Te Herenga O Te Rā with the local community

Following the livening of our third solar farm, Te Herenga o Te Rā, Lodestone celebrated this significant achievement with those closest to the project – the Waiotahe community.

In late February, we welcomed two local schools along with members from the Waiotahe community to Lodestone’s Te Herenga o Te Rā solar farm to learn about the farm, how it was constructed, how solar works and about the New Zealand electricity market.

Students from nearby Kutarere School, Waiotahe Valley School, members from Te Ūpokorehe iwi, and neighbours joined Lodestone staff and our project partners for an informative tour of the farm followed by a korero over kai.

The Waiotahe community have observed first-hand the day-by-day transformation of the 62-hectare dairy farm into a 71,000 panel solar farm. A farm that now works continuously from sunrise to sunset, quietly harvesting the region’s abundant solar resources to supply clean electricity to the surrounding area.

For Lodestone, hosting this community-focused event provided a meaningful way to say thank you to our neighbours and local iwi and to celebrate the farm’s recent commissioning with the next generation who will stand to benefit from the farm’s renewable energy.

Welcoming tamariki from nearby schools

The day began by welcoming an excited group of more than 40 year 7 and 8 students for a guided tour of the farm. Driving around the farm by bus enabled the group to safely circumnavigate the large generation plant, giving students a true appreciation of the farm’s scale. Nick Murray, Head of Project Delivery and ‘Head Guide’, brought farm facts to life with analogies like:

“If you walked up and down every row of panels on this farm, it would be similar to walking from here [Waiotahe] to Rotorua!”

During the tour, the students learnt about New Zealand’s electricity market, where electricity comes from, the urgent need for more renewable energy and, importantly, how solar farms like Te Herenga o Te Rā can positively contribute to regional communities where local supply is limited.

We were hugely impressed by the students’ keen interest and the broad range of questions they had for us.

Over a shared morning tea and a lively quiz, students tested their newfound energy knowledge earning spot prizes along the way. The morning was rounded off with photos around the farm’s super-sized ‘power-switch’, which captured their imagination with one student asking, “Will this really turn the farm on?”

To extend the solar farm experience back into the classroom, Lodestone Energy gifted the schools 10 STEM-based robotic solar kits. We hope the students of Kutarere School and Waiotahe Valley School will continue to explore the possibilities of solar energy and that we have inspired the next generation of renewable energy leaders.

Connecting and celebrating with our community

As the school groups departed, members from Te Ūpokorehe iwi, neighbours, and project partners arrived in good spirits for a similar farm tour experience.

We were honoured to have local iwi members Tom Martin and Koro Poppy Jury open with a beautiful karakia, setting a reflective and meaningful tone for the afternoon. Te Ūpokorehe has played a significant role in this project, gifting the farm its name, “Te Herenga o Te Rā”, blessing the land the farm is built on and providing regular counsel on the project, the region’s history and cultural significance.

Embracing the spirit of manaakitanga, we enjoyed a shared lunch and took the opportunity to reflect on the project’s journey, the relationships forged, and the accomplishment of reaching an operational solar farm now delivering real value to the region and beyond.

We are proud of our relationship with Te Ūpokorehe and the local community. The warmth and positivity between Lodestone, the project team and community was summed up by one iwi member:

“We don’t call you guys Lodestone; we call you whanau!”

A celebration of progress

Te Herenga o Te Rā is set to deliver 35 years of clean electricity to the Bay of Plenty region, putting Waiotahe at the forefront of a new wave of solar energy generation here in New Zealand.

We are grateful for the relationships forged over the course of the project and the ongoing support of Te Ūpokorehe and community members whose input has contributed to the success of this project.

We look forward to continuing our journey of bringing clean, sustainable energy to communities across Aotearoa New Zealand.

Our Partners

A special thanks to our project partners whose quality work and commitment enabled the design and build of Te Herenga o Te Rā:

• Infratec – Primary EPC partner
• New Energy by Drillco
• Connells
• Jacobs
• Kilo
• Horizon Networks
• Transpower
• Trina Solar
• IFM Investors
• Westpac