The sheep grazing at a Northland solar farm seem to like spending a lot of time chilling in the shade of the solar panels, their farmer says.
It’s the first lambing season at Lodestone’s Kohirā Solar Farm, which started supplying the national grid with electricity alongside grazing sheep in February 2024.
There have been no scientific studies yet at the farm but Connor Dent, who looks after the 170-strong flock, has some observations on their behaviour.
“We see the sheep sitting down for longer periods than most farms, which means that they’re sort of content, they’re full.”
The first lamb had just been born when Country Life visited the farm to check out agrivoltaics in action.
It turned out there was very little action apart from the occasional automatic tilting of the 61,000 panels as they tracked the sun.
Two metres below, the sheep don’t flinch at the subtle movement and the biggest challenge was mustering early or late when the sheepdogs found it tricky to see through the arrays tilted at their lowest point, Dent said.
Pasture and sheep growth in partly shaded paddocks are yet to be evaluated, but things are ticking along well at the present stocking rate, he told Country Life.
“We're working to establish our stock numbers that the farm can handle - we don't really want to push this farm to the point where we're having to feed out.”
Kōhira, which powers the equivalent of 7000 homes on 80 hectares of flat, former drystock land near Kaitāia, is Lodestone’s first foray into agrivoltaics – grazing stock or growing crops alongside solar energy harvesting.
The dual farming system is a growing - albeit experimental - practice in other countries. Here in New Zealand, agrivoltaics is very much in its infancy.
In China, for instance, there are hundreds of projects incorporating farming with solar energy production, from vegetable greenhouses underneath solar panels in Hainan, to shrimp farming underneath arrays bolted to posts attached to the bottom of a bay in Tianjin.
And in Europe and North America, there are berry orchards, salad plots and even vineyards under panels.
Agrivoltaics is said to have many potential benefits (PDF), including less stress on the livestock and crops, with the panels providing shade and protection, improved productivity and added revenue for the farmer amid the ups and downs of weather and commodity prices.
But there are many unknowns, too, especially in New Zealand conditions.
Lodestone plans to engage with researchers and conduct further trials, in horticulture, for example, at its newly commissioned solar farm in Edgecumbe, according to chief operating officer Richard Pearce.
“See how sustainable that is and what the right types of crops or herbs or fruits, whatever that might be … that can be farmed and in an economic way.
“It’s quite an exciting prospect for farming and helping (farmers) through those tougher times when this revenue stream will be more constant.”
Lodestone has a third plant in construction at Waiotahe in Bay of Plenty and plans for up to 12 more up and down the country. Phase two of its rollout will largely involve lease option arrangements.
Lodestone is keen to hear from interested farmers, Pearce said.
“A large part of the success of the solar farms (will involve) working with the farming community to understand the pros and cons of agrivoltaic activity, and to learn together and to do that in a really practical way that we both benefit from.”
By Sally Round for rnz.co.nz
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