Puna Komaru solar farm
Bringing power home at Maungatapere
We’re expanding solar generation for Northland’s sustainable future by investing in a new $23.6 million solar farm in Maungatapere.
It will generate approximately 27 GWh annually, powering about 3,800 homes with clean electricity.
The solar farm is located in Maungatapere, Whangārei with a capacity of ~20MWdc.
Construction starts in March 2026, and commissioning is expected by December 2026.
Kaitiakitanga in practice
Guided by a strong sense of kaitiakitanga, this project places the protection of the land’s cultural, historical, and environmental significance at its heart.
Working closely with local hapū Te Parawhau, we have partnered through every stage of planning, design, and execution to ensure the whenua is respected and its mauri upheld.
We have protected key heritage features such as the volcanic stone walls, while undertaking bat and lizard surveys, implementing careful sediment and erosion controls, and restoring native planting to enhance the surrounding wetland and natural environment.
Pictured is Sarah, Senior Ecologist at Beca, inspecting a potential bat roost using an endoscope to determine if bats are present, prior to tree felling.
An ingoa with meaning
The name Puna Komaru was gifted by local hapū Te Parawhau, reflecting the deep connection between this place and the renewable energy it will provide.
Meaning “the source of solar energy,” the name acknowledges both the natural environment and the role this project plays in supporting the community’s energy future.
Northpower gratefully acknowledges the whakaaro and care Te Parawhau have shown in naming our community’s second solar farm, and we are honoured to carry this name forward.
27GWh
under defined conditions
~3800
homes powered annually
$23.6m
investment
12000
native plants planted
