Tauhei Solar Farm
| Tauhei solar farm | |
|---|---|
| Country | New Zealand |
| Location | Te Aroha |
| Coordinates | 37°35′18″S 175°43′18″E / 37.58833°S 175.72167°E |
| Status | Under construction |
| Construction began | April 2025 |
| Owner | Harmony Energy |
| Solar farm | |
| Type | Flat-panel PV |
| Collectors | 329,000 |
| Site area | 182 ha 450 acres |
| Power generation | |
| Nameplate capacity | 150 MWac (202 MWp) |
| Annual net output | 280 GWh |
The Tauhei solar farm is a photovoltaic power station in New Zealand. The farm was constructed near Te Aroha in the Matamata-Piako District by UK-based Harmony Energy, and it is rated at 202 MWp / 150 MWac.[1]
The project applied for fast-track consent under the Covid-19 Recovery (Fast-Track Consenting) Act 2020 in December 2021.[2][3] The project converted a dairy farm to sheep, with farming continuing alongside electricity generation.[2] Consent was granted in September 2022.[4][5][6] Construction began in April 2025,[7] and was completed in 2026.[8][9] The first row of solar panels was installed in October 2025.[10] The final panel was installed in May 2026,[11] and the farm began exporting electricity to the grid in July 2026.[12]
See also
References
- ↑ "Harmony Energy JV reaches fin close on 150-MW solar project in NZ". Renewables Now. 31 January 2025. Archived from the original on 23 July 2025. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
- 1 2 "New solar farm proposed for eastern Waikato could power 30,000 homes". Stuff. 17 February 2022. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
- ↑ "Application 2021-068 Tauhei Solar Farm (Harmony Energy NZ Limited)" (PDF). Ministry for the Environment. 9 December 2021. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
- ↑ "UK's Harmony Energy wins approval for Waikato solar farm". The New Zealand Herald. 21 September 2022. Archived from the original on 20 September 2022. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
- ↑ "Hauraki solar farm that could power 30,000 homes gets green light". Stuff. 20 September 2022. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
- ↑ "Solar farm approved for Waikato to power 30,000 homes". Radio New Zealand. 21 September 2022. Archived from the original on 12 November 2022. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
- ↑ "Construction capacity can't keep up with 'phenomenal' demand for solar power". Radio New Zealand. 2 April 2025. Retrieved 2 April 2025.
- ↑ Gray, Jamie (30 January 2025). "Harmony, Clarus to build NZ's biggest solar farm". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
- ↑ Pullar-Strecker, Tom (30 January 2025). "Final approval given for NZ's 'largest solar farm'". The Post. Archived from the original on 30 January 2025. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
- ↑ "'Golden row' marks progress at Tauhei solar farm". reNews. 9 October 2025. Archived from the original on 9 October 2025. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
- ↑ "Elecnor confirms construction milestone for NZ's biggest yet solar farm". PV Magazine. 5 May 2026. Archived from the original on 10 May 2026. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ↑ "Harmony Energy energises 202 MW Tauhei solar farm". SolarBytes. 14 July 2026. Archived from the original on 14 July 2026. Retrieved 15 July 2026.