Energise Ōtaki – Community owned Solar Farm

2021
New Zealand's First Community owned Solar Farm

Energise Ōtaki has built a 130kWp community owned solar farm, the first in New Zealand.

Kapiti Coast District Council will pay market rates for power from the larger ground mounted system supplying its Ōtaki Wastewater Treatment Plant, as will Ōtaki College for the power from the smaller roof mounted system.

Funding by Wellington Community Trust, the take-up by Kapiti Coast District Council and the College, the open-book build partnership with Infratec, are all firsts in New Zealand. Equally innovative is the Energise Ōtaki Community Investment Fund which will receive the solar farm revenue for annual reinvestment in community energy projects in the town.

https://energise.otaki.net.nz/