Renewable energy is assisting reduce energy costs on farm and increase energy reliability. Solar and wind technologies offer reliable, low-emission power solutions for farms of all sizes. This section explores how producers are using solar arrays for irrigation, cooling, and processing, and how wind turbines are being integrated into operations where conditions are favourable.
Resources include technical guides, agrivoltaics research, and economic modelling to help assess feasibility. By harnessing renewable energy, farmers can reduce grid dependency, lower energy bills, and contribute to a more sustainable food system.
Fuel and energy top of mind?
NSW Department of Primary Industries & Regional Development (DPIRD) has a practical set of resources to help farmers take small low-cost actions to improve fuel efficiency — covering everything from ...
Pioneering a Cleaner Future: Renewable Diesel Trial in NSW’s Fishing Industry
The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD), through its Beyond Fossil Diesel initiative led by Michael Cashen, recently partnered with two forward-thinking commercial fishers in New South Wales ...
Webinar – Scaling-up domestic fats and oils feedstock production
Can we move away from fossil diesel? Renewable fuels can be a direct substitute for fuels like diesel (and aviation/marine fuels). These fuels drastically reduce the lifecycle carbon footprint of ...
Landowners and renewable energy developments: what you need to know – webinar recording
Do you want to know more about the renewable energy transition and the processes involved with renewable energy developments? At times, landowners in suitable areas are contacted by developers exploring ...
Insights from the Agriculture Energy Investment Plan – Webinar recording
The Agriculture Energy Investment Plan has supported agricultural businesses to reduce energy costs, improve energy efficiency and explore alternative energy options through energy assessments, grants, demonstrations, research and extension. Agriculture ...
Analysis shows energy advances by Victorian farmers
Agriculture Victoria has analysed data from 680 on-farm energy assessments and 320 grants to create a unique summary of Victoria’s on-farm energy use and improvements. This is a very large ...
The renewable fuel future
Understanding what may fuel the future is a focus of the new NSW DPI project: Beyond Fossil Diesel. The pressure to reduce emissions is growing as more targets are being ...
Can diesel fuel farming forever?
The May-June edition of NSW Farmers ‘The Farmer’ magazine looks at workable alternatives to diesel for on-farm use in the face of soaring prices, supply chain interruptions and pressure to ...
Diesel’s Green Future
Looking ahead… NSW DPI have been looking at renewable diesel and how that may fit into the transition to lower carbon and increased fuel security. “Renewable diesel” is not “biodiesel ...
Real world applications of hydrogen technologies
Dr Neil Thompson, Adjunct Associate Professor with the Centre for Clean Energy Technologies at the Queensland University of Technology, has created a series of three short videos for the NSW ...
How does a hydrogen fuel cell work?
Hydrogen fuel cells are being touted as a promising technology to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, particularly in the transport sector. Hydrogen fuel cells use the chemical energy stored in ...
Pecora Dairy Energy Efficiency Solutions Pilot Project
The NSW DPI Energy Efficiency Solutions project has implemented pilot projects on a range of farms around NSW during 2021 to address the cost, reliability and the sustainability of energy ...
