A distinctive feature of the Energy Farm will be its ability to host a comprehensive range of experiments and crop trials to contribute to the development of leading-edge practices that can be replicated and rolled out across New Zealand and the world. The increase in biodiversity will also be a subject of research, with extensive native planting around and within the site for crop wind protection, on-site water management and improved aesthetics.

Key strategic goals of the project include:

• Developing new knowledge and skills in sustainable energy-agriculture land-use through research and educational excellence.

• Contributing to the sustainability goals of the University and increased on-farm biodiversity and water quality.

• Providing reciprocal learning opportunities for tangata whenua, industry partners and the wider community.

The Energy Farm will play a critical role in achieving Lincoln University’s sustainability goals, which include decommissioning its coal boiler by 2025, the campus becoming carbon-neutral by 2030, and carbon zero by 2050.

Boffa Miskell has a long-standing relationship with Lincoln University. This project, which focussed on optimising commercial-scale solar energy coupled with horticultural crops to contribute to biodiversity and a more sustainable energy-focussed outcome, aligns well with our shared ethics.

We worked closely with Lincoln University to understand the proposal and consider appropriate mitigation measures. Our landscape planners, landscape designers and GIS/ Forge Solar experts contributed specialist expertise to help develop a project that will be an exemplar of sustainable practices and a showpiece for transformative land use.