




Communities in Transition
for Queensland Communities
Indigenous Artist - Roel Wijnants | https://flic.kr/p/PYTzL
Lychees - CSIRO - Science Image - 2309
Lichen & street scene - Quest Media
Useful resources
Renewable energy in agriculture A farmer’s guide to technology and feasibility, 2015, NSW Farmers Association & the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage
Wind farm guide for host landholders, GHD Pty Ltd & NSW Farmers’ Association
Solar Diesel Hybrid Pumping Systems A checklist for solar irrigation quotes, NSW Govt, AgInnovators, NSW Farmers Association and Regional Development Australia - Riverina
NSW Farmers Association Information Sheets, 2013
Atmospheric Science Data Centre for average daily solar radiation (kWh/m2/d) for your location
Solar battery calculator, NSW Farmers Association
Solar-powered pumping in agriculture: A guide to system selection and design, 2014, NSW Farmers Association & the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage
Solar Powered Pumping Irrigation solutions, 2015, NSW Farmers Association & the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage
Solar Powered Pumping Stock and domestic solutions, 2015, NSW Farmers Association & the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage
Financing Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, 2016, Qld Farmers Federation
Using agricultural land for utility-scale photovoltaic solar electricity generation, 2017, Australian Farm Institute
Feasibility of Solar PV Powered Irrigation in Queensland, 2018, University of Southern Queensland
Fact Sheet: Your Levy at Work Solar energy for dairy farms, Dairy Australia
Case studies
Grid connected solar irrigation case studies, JW Powell & JM Welsh, Cotton Info
Solar Pumping Solutions hybrid solar pumping system for large scale irrigation, Narromine NSW (YouTube)
Karalee Nursery (Qld), Farmers Federation
Lighting upgrade, Power Factor Correction (PFC) and a 30.4kW Solar PV system. Annual energy savings over $14,700. Payback around 5½ years.
Big Stawberry, (Vic), Energy Matters
Installed 20kW solar PV system.
Yalumba Case Study (SA) (1.39MW), AGL
Developed a cost effective and renewable energy solution for its three Barossa Valley sites & reduced energy consumption by 18%. It is the largest solar system installation at an Australian winery.
No-fuss solar helps farmer cut pumping costs (Qld) Clean Energy Finance Corporation
Cotton and chickpea farm installed a 25kW PV system to serve an 18kW bore pump. With a total cost after Solar Renewable Energy Certificates (SRECS), of $37,600, the system is saving over $8,000 each year in electricity costs. The farm can also earn up to $5,000 per year for exporting surplus power.
Energy and food together: Under solar panels, crops thrive (US), PRI
Honey producers keep bees at three solar farms where developers seeded native plants underneath and around panels.
Agriculture And Electricity Generation – Solar + Fungus Farms, Solar Quotes
Japanese are using the land beneath the panels to grow Kikurage mushroom which is a high value product that that grows naturally with little sunlight in moist-deciduous to wet evergreen forests.
Australian desert farm grows 17,000 metric tons of vegetables with just seawater and sun, 2016, Inhabitat
Sundrop Farms grows crops in a hydroponic greenhouse lined with water-drenched cardboard.
Sundrop Farms (SA) - Changing energy, the most efficient harvesting of the sun
(solar thermal used to provide electricity, steam and desalination to produce irrigation water for the site)
On farm power generation Solar photovoltaics (PV), Applied Horticulture Research, Parkside Energy & Horticulture Australia
Case studies:
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loose leaf lettuce company in Gingin, WA
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vegetable grower, Lockyer Valley, Qld
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vegetable and herb grower and processing company, Bundaberg, Qld
RFM Poultry invests in solar energy for Victorian farms, Solar Professionals
100 kW solar systems have been installed on each of the four farms.
Farm Diversification Special: Solar Sam Albanese, 2018, The Farm Table
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Solar farm integrated into horticultural business.
Media
2018
Floating solar panels on farm dams set to cut energy costs, NSW Farmers Association
Why solar stacks up for farmers, NSW Farmers Association
Virtual fences to improve labour efficiency for farmers, NSW Farmers Association
Hydrogen-fuelled tractors: a clean energy option for farmers, NSW Farmers Association
NSW Farmer shines light on solar development, NSW Farmers Association
Solar power: the sky’s the limit, NSW Farmers Association
Egg industry switches to on-farm solar, Australian Eggs
Solar comes to rescue for drought-hit cotton farm, Financial Review
Balancing solar with farm land, The Land
The future of ag is solar, Australian Farmers




