Could solar farming be the next value-add option for New Zealand farmers? Agrivoltaics, which results in dual use of farmland between solar farming and traditional farming, is gaining traction as a viable way of diversifying income.

Hear what’s already happening in this space, including the Lincoln University energy farm project, how Lodestone Energy is partnering with farmers to expand their solar farm network, and listen to farmer Hamish Hills, who researched, financed and installed his own solar setup on his Golden Bay dairy farm.  

Guests include:

1. Dr Shannon Page, Energy Farm Project Lead, Lincoln University
2. Richard Pearce, Chief Operating Officer, Lodestone Energy
3. Hamish Hills, Golden Bay Dairy Farmer

Hosts:

1. Rebecca Greaves, Editor, Country-Wide
2. Sheryl Haitana, Editor, Dairy Exporter

Lincoln University has unveiled plans for an energy farm project, to demonstrate how productive land can be optimised to produce high value horticulture crops, while also producing high scale solar energy. 

Dr Shannon Page of Lincoln University discusses how the project will be able to provide 18% of the power needed for the University annually, as well as providing opportunities for teaching and learning, with both the solar and horticulture elements. 

Lodestone Energy is a renewable energy company based in New Zealand, and is developing their agrivoltaics system with farmers to expand their portfolio of solar farms. This would result in farms having dual use of the land for both solar and traditional farming practices.  

Chief Operating Officer, Richard Pearce, says solar farming provides the opportunity to repurpose farmland to integrate energy production and farm production more effectively. He discusses the benefits for farmers, and what they’re looking for from farmers. 

Golden Bay farmer Hamish Hills started looking at introducing solar to his dairy operation three years ago, going operational at the beginning of last year, and says it complements their dryland operation well.

He took it upon himself to find out how he could implement solar on his farm, and had good support in doing so. He discusses what other farmers should think about if they’d also like to introduce solar on their farm. He says selling the power is the most challenging element. They are currently looking at expanding their solar operation. 

Read more about solar farming opportunities in Country-Wide Magazine

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