A Southland solar farm with the capacity to power 1200 households per year has been given the green light, with site work expected to begin early in the new year.

Invercargill-based Network Electrical Servicing (NES) has been granted resource consent for its 13 hectare solar farm at Makarewa, near Invercargill.

The 8.4 megawatt direct current (MWdc) solar farm will feed into the local power grid.

NES subsidiary NES Infrastructure and its retail brand Ernest Energy are developing the Makarewa project.

Ernest Energy provides turnkey solar and battery storage solutions tailored for New Zealand’s commercial and agricultural sectors - giving farms and businesses full control over their energy use.

NES general manager and Ernest Energy director Dr Hoani Cooper said the multi-million dollar project would support the local power grid, providing a renewable source of power, as part of solutions to growing power demand in the region.

“Many businesses are facing challenges in the face of surging power prices, and locally-produced, alternative energy sources will be crucial to solving this issue,” he said.

As the shift towards electrification accelerates, pressure on the national grid is an increasing concern.

“The solar agrifarm will deliver renewable energy to Southland, which can be used to help protect local users from power price fluctuations, and increase our regional energy resilience.”

Agriculture is a clear example of electrification in action, with the likes of electric quad bikes, tractors, irrigation systems, and milk chilling units already on the radar.

“Increasingly, farmers are also turning to on-site generation. Ernest Energy is providing the solution with solar panels and batteries providing reliable, independent energy.”

These solutions are helping farms take control of their power, cut operating costs, and build resilience for the future, he said.

NES will meet the conditions of the SDC resource consent, considering the needs of the Makarewa community. The preliminary works will be the planting of trees to minimise the visual aspect of the solar farm prior to Christmas. Site works will begin early next year and are expected to take several months.

The site will continue to be used for grazing sheep, meaning there is still an agricultural output making the land dual purpose.

It would create economic opportunities for the region, opening up a pipeline of work both through the construction process and once it was operational.

“We’re committed to working with local contractors and employing local workers wherever possible, supporting regional economic growth and development,” Dr Cooper said.

The project, when announced in April, was welcomed by city and regional leaders who said it would create opportunities by supporting renewable energy, bolstering investment confidence in the region, and ultimately helping the region thrive.

The project also aligns with the region’s wider transition into low-emission, future-focused industries.

Ernest Energy was also using the solar farm as a platform to create awareness about renewable energy technologies within the community.

Dr Cooper will be a guest speaker at Great South’s (Solar) Powering Southland event at ILT Stadium Southland on 29 October. Earlier in the year, he was a guest presenter at Thriving Southland’s 2025 Southern AgriTech and Innovation Day, speaking about Solar Opportunities for Southern Farms.

“We really enjoy talking to people about the benefits solar power can bring to southern farms and businesses,” Dr Cooper said.

NES has also partnered with South Alive, the community-led organisation in South Invercargill, to implement a solar energy solution that supported their long-term sustainability goals, designing and installing a 66-kilowatt solar system.