Te Puna Mauri ō Omaru solar farm

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Northpower / Renewables / Te Puna Mauri ō Omaru solar farm

Bringing power home to Ruawai

We’ve completed Te Puna Mauri ō Omaru solar farm in Ruawai, Northland. It is New Zealand’s first large scale community-owned solar farm.

This $28 million project now powers around 4,000 homes a year, with a stage two expansion underway to bring even more clean energy into our region. It is a proud moment for Northland and a clear example of what is possible when we invest in renewable energy that is owned by the community, for the community.

Situated one hour southwest of Whangārei, the 30-hectare farm is ideally located for grid-scale solar generation as it is close to Northpower’s existing infrastructure and has the ideal topography and climate. Construction began on stage 1 in January 2024 and was completed in December 2024. Stage 2 was completed in July 2025.

Built with community, for community

From the start, this project has been about people. More than $5 million was spent locally, with over 50 Northlanders gaining new skills and jobs, including 17 who were previously unemployed.

We worked closely with hapū Te Uri o Hau, who named the farm Te Puna Mauri ō Omaru, meaning “the energy source of Omaru,” honouring its cultural and historical importance. We were humbled that the Alexander family, who farmed the land for four generations, entrusted it to Northpower so it could become a renewable legacy for future generations.

On completion of the project, we invited the community for an open day and hosted local schools to visit. This fostered strong community support and promoted understanding of renewable energy benefits.

Leading with innovation

The solar farm also brings world-leading technology to Aotearoa. It is the first here to use Nextracker’s solar tracking system, boosting energy yield by up to 30 percent, alongside Shoals’ DC cabling, Jinko Solar’s bi-facial panels, and Power Electronics modular inverters.

With innovative safety designs developed by our own team, the project sets a new benchmark for how renewable energy can deliver lasting technical, social and cultural benefits.