From pumps to power systems: Guide launched to help farmers go electric and assess renewable and storage

RE-Alliance and Farmers for Climate Action have published a new guide to help farmers and other rural and regional small-business owners assess electrification options in the face of rising power bills, soaring diesel prices and unreliable supply issues.

The new free guide, Electrifying Regional Australia, covers power options including solar, battery storage, microgrids and standalone power systems, as well as energy trading, and the options on electrifying vehicles and machinery and other energy hungry systems.

The guide has been backed by Energy Consumers Australia as part of its grants program.

“Across regional Australia, farms and small businesses are already finding ways to cut energy costs, reduce their exposure to diesel prices and gain more control over their power supply,” said Karin Stark, RE-Alliance board director and co-author of the report, who organised the recent National Renewables in Agriculture conference in Orange.

“But there is no single solution that will work for every business or every region. For some businesses, the best first step might be solar or an electric pump. For others, it could be battery storage, electric machinery or a stand-alone power system.

“This guide cuts through the complexity. It explains the main options in plain English, where they work best, their benefits and limitations, and the questions people should ask before investing.”

The guide is also timed to coincide with the federal government’s planned expansion of the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES), which will evolve from 100 kilowatts (kW) to 1 megawatt (MW) starting from the beginning of October, pending final regulations.

Stark expects the expansion to the SRES will help make solar more economically viable, and Ballarat winemaker Michael Unwin agrees.

Unwin has been operating his winery off grid since 2019 after he invested around $90,000 in a 6.6 kW solar system and 25 kWh of usable battery storage, all backed by a diesel generator. His decision to invest in an off-grid clean energy system came after he was quoted around $40,000 simply to connect his site to the electricity grid.

“It’s not flashy or utopian—it’s a practical system that has worked really well for the business,” said Unwin. “In six years, I’ve never run out of power.

“We still use the diesel generator during stretches of wet, overcast weather, particularly in winter. The next practical step would be adding more solar to our large north-facing roof. Even another $5,000 worth of panels could make a substantial difference, but small businesses have to make these investments when they can afford them.

“More power would also open up new possibilities for the winery. I’d like to use surplus solar energy to gradually produce and store ice, which we could then use to control the temperature of fermentations.

“Electrification isn’t just about replacing one energy source with another—it can give regional businesses new ways to work more efficiently and creatively.

“But it has to happen in manageable stages. Most working farmers and small-business owners don’t have another $50,000 sitting around, and it doesn’t always make sense to replace reliable equipment before the end of its useful life. You add what works for your business, when it stacks up.”

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