Energy Farm: advancing a sustainable future for people and planet

Located on a four-hectare parcel of University-owned land adjacent to the campus, the Lincoln University Energy Farm will demonstrate how productive land can be optimised to grow high-value horticulture crops while generating commercial-scale solar energy.

Read about the Energy Farm announcement here: Energy Farm will be first in New Zealand to demonstrate high-value agrivoltaics.

Renewable electricity production

The Energy Farm will play a critical role in achieving the University’s sustainability goals that include becoming carbon neutral by 2030 and carbon zero by 2050. Renewable electricity will replace fossil fuels currently used for hot water, heating, and an increasing number of vehicles on campus. No fossil fuels will be used on the Energy Farm site once operational (an electric tractor will be showcased on site). The Lincoln University Energy Farm will demonstrate how the land-based sector can play a significant role in decarbonising other sectors of the economy such that emissions mitigation targets are achieved.

The main array has an installed capacity of 1.5 MW and will employ an east-west tracking system to maximise the electrical energy produced. The main array will generate ~2.3 GWh per year, and when combined with the roof top solar generation of campus buildings, will deliver up to 25% of the University’s total electricity requirements.

The main array is like other state of the art systems currently proposed in New Zealand and around the world. Whilst minor modifications have been made to increase the research capability of the site (such as an increased panel height for half the array and increasing buried depth of electrical cables), the knowledge and skills developed will be widely applicable to other proposed and operational solar installations. We have partnered with Solar Bay – one of Australasia’s leading renewable energy infrastructure providers and a company that shares Lincoln University’s sustainability vision – to develop and co-design the site.

The main array has an installed capacity of 1.5MW and will generate ~2.3GWh per year

High-value horticulture production

The Energy Farm will increase the agricultural productivity of the site, growing high-value horticulture crops – like blueberries, ranui berries or snowberries – between and below the rows of solar panels. While sheep grazing is commonly practised within solar farms, this is primarily for the purposes of managing grass growth, rather than optimising for food productivity whilst improving environmental and societal values.

The microclimate under the solar panels – and how this affects plant growth and food production – will be a major focus of research and teaching. Whilst reduced light can have negatives effects, lower heat stress and evaporation has positive effects. The increased/decreased productivity will be quantified for a wide range of crops and planting layouts. The crops will be sold – and the combined economic value of the energy-agriculture system will be determined.

The site will use precision drip irrigation coupled with soil moisture sensors minimising the use of freshwater resources.

Experimental research platform

A distinctive feature of the Energy Farm is its ability to host a comprehensive range of experiments and crop trials. As previously described, the main array has been slightly modified for ease of crop experimentation, and the wide variety of crops and planting configurations ensure the knowledge and skills gained are applicable to a wide range of solar installations around New Zealand and the world.

Significantly, a smaller experimental array will be able to test the effects of different solar panel technologies on plant growth – predominantly mixed forage corps. This will enable our research and teaching programmes to also be applicable to solar farms with animal grazing. The experimental array is composed of three different panel types (one of which is partially transparent), at four different heights, at an angle tilted north that can be manually set. This enables trialling a multitude of shade patterns, energy generation profiles and pasture growth impacts.

Using the skills and knowledge of our students, staff, industry partners and community, we will undertake wide-ranging experiments/trials in which we will develop cutting-edge practices that can be replicated and rolled out across New Zealand and the world.

The operation of the Energy Farm will deliver numerous, novel and continuous high-quality research outputs for staff and students.