It’s New Zealand's most ambitious solar energy project ever.

Lodestone Energy is planning to build five solar farms in the North Island, it says will create enough energy to power a city the size of Hamilton.

The idea is that the land under and around the panels, can still be farmed.

Lodestone Energy Managing Director Gary Holden told Mike Hosking this is just the beginning.

“We could probably be adding another farm almost every year until we run out of opportunity.”

The first consented development will be at Kaitaia, with construction due to start by late this year.

LISTEN ABOVE