Aotearoa New Zealand’s solar generation reaches all time high

New Zealand’s Electricity Authority Te Mana Hiko has reported the country’s solar generation reached an all-time high in March of 128 MW but say that’s likely to be surpassed when three new large-scale farms come online during 2025.

March 20, 2025 Ev Foley

Image: Contact Energy

New Zealand’s Electricity Authority Te Mana Hiko has reported the country’s solar generation reached an all-time high of 128 MW but say that’s likely to be surpassed when three new large-scale farms come online in 2025.

New Zealand solar generation, 2-8 March 2025.
*Image: Electricity Authority, New Zealand*

The 128 MW of solar generation was recorded on 6 March 2025, and in the same week, the mean daytime solar generation was 69 MW, and a total weekly generation of 5.5 GWh or the equivalent of powering 795 households for a year, was also achieved.

The milestones follow a previous record achieved in December 2024, when electricity demand was low, and for the first time, more electricity was generated from solar than thermal generation.

Capacity of solar distributed energy resources, March 2023 – December 2024
*Image: Electricity Authority, New Zealand*

As of December 2024, the capacity of residential, commercial and small business solar generation has been estimated at 408 MW.

According to an Electricity Authority statement, it is currently proposing rule changes that better reward households and small businesses for supplying electricity to the network at peak times, typically through their own solar and battery systems.

Incoming solar generation as reported in the Electricity Authority’s 2023 investment survey.
*Image: Electricity Authority, New Zealand*

The capacity of committed future generation in New Zealand includes 652 MW of solar, which includes Meridian Energy and Nova Energy’s 400 MW Te Rahui farm, Contact Energy and Lightsource’s 168 MW Kowhai Park farm, and Lodestone Energy’s 32 MW farm in Whitianga.

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