Excited to announce that we are a finalist for the 2021 Energy Excellence Awards in their Community Initiative of the Year sector! It’s wonderful to be recognised for our work setting up New Zealand’s first community owned solar farm.
Energise Ōtaki’s Solar Farm was officially opened by Climate Change Minister James Shaw and Finance Minister Grant Robertson on 30 September 2020.
Energise Ōtaki has, with a generous funding of $407,000 from the Wellington Community Trust, set up two solar systems to generate power to go straight to users within the community.
Beach FM interview with Lloyd Chapman, Secretary of Energise Ōtaki – 2 August, 2019
Two community solar farms will generate over 160 kWp of electricity when the sun is shining. One will be at the waste water treatment plant, the other at Ōtaki College.
Income from the farms will be used to fund community energy projects in Ōtaki.