Transitioning Australia’s farms to net zero will require replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy to power machinery, irrigation, cool storage, and even fertiliser production. Agrivoltaics, the co-location of solar power systems with agricultural production, offers a promising pathway, but adoption has been limited. Many farmers view solar energy as competing with productive land and face a range of barriers including insurance costs, grid connection and regulations. There is limited evidence to date on how agrivoltaics could work under Australian conditions. 

Dr Marco Ernst from the School of Engineering is tackling this challenge head-on, through a grant from the Zero Net Emissions Agriculture Cooperative Research Centre. The three-year collaborative project is led by the University of Western Australia, in collaboration with the University of Melbourne, Agriculture Victoria Research, Curtin University, Sunrise Energy Group, the WA Drought Hub and the ANU. By combining on-site trials in Western Australia and Victoria with national datasets and international case studies, the project is building the evidence base farmers need to make informed decisions. 

The multidisciplinary research focuses on three key questions: 

• What are the microclimatic effects of solar panels on crops and pastures? Field monitoring and eco-hydrological modelling will assess how shade, temperature, and moisture dynamics influence plant growth. 

• Which farming systems perform best under agrivoltaics? Trials in horticulture, viticulture, and pasture systems will measure crop physiology and productivity under solar arrays. 

• What is the economic and environmental case? Techno-economic-environmental modelling, coupled with benefit–cost analyses, will identify configurations that utilise synergies to maximise productivity, energy generation, and emissions reduction. 

Beyond research, the project will deliver extension and outreach activities with grower groups and farmer organisations. By engaging directly with producers, the team will ensure findings address practical questions and adoption barriers. 

The potential benefits are significant; farms could produce food and energy from the same land, generating multiple value streams, lowering emissions, and enhancing resilience for rural communities. By demonstrating what works in Australian conditions, this project will help pave the way for large-scale deployment of agrivoltaics as a cornerstone of zero-emission farming. 

"The ANU contribution focuses on developing high-fidelity modelling of solar energy generation, shading effects, and economic performance to understand how agrivoltaic systems perform in real farming environments. By linking accurate PV performance and economic modelling with crop and microclimate data, we can identify configurations that maximise both agricultural productivity and renewable energy generation." - Dr Marco Ernst 

“Working with AFII connects our modelling expertise to broader agricultural innovation, helping to translate our findings into practical solutions for farmers." - Dr Marco Ernst