Whakatāne District Council could make the most of Whakatāne's high sunshine hours by investing up to $16 million in solar energy across eight sites, according to a new report.

The council's energy, environment and resilience committee will tomorrow discuss the possibility of establishing a 7.2-megawatt solar farm at Whakatāne Airport and installing solar panels on the rooftops of eight council-owned buildings, including its newly refurbished office building in Commerce Street.

A Solar Feasibility Scoping Report from a study the council commissioned last year will be made public for the first time at the meeting.

Energy Management Solutions carried out the study during October and November and discussed a draft report with the council in January. The final report was completed in February.

The study looks at 28 buildings and facilities and recommends a list of eight sites best suited for solar electricity generation.

The Civic Centre, Te Koputu – library and exhibition centre, Whakatāne Holiday Park, Ōhope and Murupara libraries, the airport, the dog pound and the refuse sorting shed at the recycling park in Te Tahi Street have all made the shortlist.

The initial investment required is $15.8 million and it is estimated this would pay for itself in 10-and-a-half years, both by saving the council $1.5 million a year in energy bills and by providing a net income of $100,000 a year by selling excess energy back to the national grid.

By far the largest and most expensive of the sites would be the airport array, which would cost over $14.7 million and generate 95 percent of the energy from all the sites. The combined carbon emission reductions of all the sites would equate to 1250 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year.

The report provides alternative options to purchasing the solar panels. The council could also consider lease-to-buy options, which would require no capital expenditure, but it would need to pay for its current electricity use for 15 years.

Mayor Victor Luca has been exploring solar energy opportunities for some time.

In April 2020, together with Graeme Weston, he put together a pre-feasibility study for a community solar farm which he presented to the council.

This report is also on the agenda of tomorrow's meeting.

-Local Democracy Reporting is Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air.