Waingawa 4.7 MW PV project from Lightyears Solar goes live

Lightyears Solar, a utility-scale solar PV developer in New Zealand, has activated its Waingawa Solar Farm near Masterton in Wairarapa. The 7700-panel project produced 4.7 megawatts at peak, supplying power for 1100 homes via Powerco’s network. The six-hectare solar array was built on leased farmland, with panels elevated for continued livestock grazing and mounted on trackers to follow the sun. The farm’s lifetime carbon offset equaled planting nearly 60,000 trees. All Lightyears sites connected to local distribution networks. Interest from landowners in agrivoltaic setups increased significantly. The Waingawa landowners also used the site for holiday accommodation. Manawa Energy purchased the Waingawa farm’s electricity under a PPA. Construction was completed by Downer, Sol Srv, and local contractors.