




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
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Wind farm guide for host landholders, GHD Pty Ltd & NSW Farmers’ Association
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Solar Diesel Hybrid Pumping Systems A checklist for solar irrigation quotes, NSW Govt, AgInnovators, NSW Farmers Association and Regional Development Australia - Riverina
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NSW Farmers Association Information Sheets, 2013
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Atmospheric Science Data Centre for average daily solar radiation (kWh/m2/d) for your location
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Solar battery calculator, NSW Farmers Association
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Solar-powered pumping in agriculture: A guide to system selection and design, 2014, NSW Farmers Association & the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage
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Solar Powered Pumping Irrigation solutions, 2015, NSW Farmers Association & the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage
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Solar Powered Pumping Stock and domestic solutions, 2015, NSW Farmers Association & the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage
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Financing Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, 2016, Qld Farmers Federation
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Using agricultural land for utility-scale photovoltaic solar electricity generation, 2017, Australian Farm Institute
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Feasibility of Solar PV Powered Irrigation in Queensland, ​2018, University of Southern Queensland
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Fact Sheet: Your Levy at Work Solar energy for dairy farms, Dairy Australia
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Case studies
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Grid connected solar irrigation case studies, JW Powell & JM Welsh, Cotton Info
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Solar Pumping Solutions hybrid solar pumping system for large scale irrigation, Narromine NSW (YouTube)
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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.
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Big Stawberry, (Vic), Energy Matters
Installed 20kW solar PV system.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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)
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​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
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RFM Poultry invests in solar energy for Victorian farms, Solar Professionals
100 kW solar systems have been installed on each of the four farms.
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Farm Diversification Special: Solar Sam Albanese, 2018, The Farm Table
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Solar farm integrated into horticultural business.
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Media
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2018
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Floating solar panels on farm dams set to cut energy costs, NSW Farmers Association
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Why solar stacks up for farmers, NSW Farmers Association
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Virtual fences to improve labour efficiency for farmers, NSW Farmers Association
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Hydrogen-fuelled tractors: a clean energy option for farmers, NSW Farmers Association
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NSW Farmer shines light on solar development, NSW Farmers Association
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Solar power: the sky’s the limit, NSW Farmers Association
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Egg industry switches to on-farm solar, Australian Eggs
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Solar comes to rescue for drought-hit cotton farm, Financial Review
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Balancing solar with farm land, The Land
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The future of ag is solar, Australian Farmers
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