Ag Econ’s Jon Welsh, CRDC executive Allan Williams and University of Southern Queensland researcher Michael Scobie are collaborating on an irrigated agriculture research project. Photo: Melanie Jenson.
An Australian-first research project installing floating solar panels on irrigation dams could revolutionise irrigated agriculture by mitigating evaporation and generating energy.
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The research project — spearheaded by Ag Econ with support from the Cotton Research and Development Corporation (CRDC) — will test the feasibility of installing floating solar photovoltaic (FPV) panels on irrigation storages to mitigate evaporation and create energy.
The project also involves research partners the University of Southern Queensland and Macquarie University, and will work across a number of agricultural industries outside of cotton, including grains, sugarcane, pecans and rice.
Ag Econ’s Jon Welsh said the project addressed the critical issue of mitigating evaporation loss, improving drought resilience through improved water management, and renewable energy generation that producers can offset or create income from.
“This project investigates a practical, sensible and proven solution to store valuable water for longer, building resilience into an irrigated farming system then able to produce more food and fibre,” Mr Welsh said.
“Australia faces a critical ‘tri-lemma’ of securing water, food, and clean energy. Incorporating floating FPV on storage dams will help address all of those challenges simultaneously.
A new solar research project could revolutionise irrigated agriculture. Photo: Ruth Redfern.
“We know FPV projects can work but there are serious challenges and a critical research gap remains — and that is how to develop a practical and cost-effective solution ready for farm roll-out.
“The project research will deliver technical, economic, policy, and legal research to create a long-term and sustainable Australian FPV market for cotton and other irrigators.”
Previous CRDC-supported research has found that managing evaporative losses from on-farm storages will greatly improve cotton’s water productivity. However, finding a practical solution is something the industry has been grappling with for decades.
The water saved via the FVPs could be used for additional crop production, domestic needs during droughts, water trading, or water for the environment.
The $13 million project, called the ‘Novel Energy and Evaporative Storage Technologies for Irrigators’ (NEESTI), secured $6 million in funding under the Federal Government’s $5 billion Future Drought Fund’s Resilient Landscapes program, which supports farmers and regional communities to build their drought and climate resilience.
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