The Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) has joined with the National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) to produce an Australian-first energy-efficiency guide for farmers.
The guide has the twin goals of increasing on-farm efficiency and cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
In the guide, which will be available to 85,000 farming enterprises, the CEFC and NFF identify 51 opportunities where farmers can reduce their energy bills by improving energy efficiency and switching to renewables.
The costs of adopting the opportunities start at less than $10,000, making them cost effective at a time of farm stress and drought.
Chief Executive of the CEFC, Ian Learmonth said Australia’s farmers had a well-deserved reputation for innovation and land care.
The solutions in the guide can help farming businesses better manage their energy costs, increase their efficiency and lower their carbon emissions,” Mr Learmonth said.
“Already more than 1,100 agriculture projects are drawing on $260 million in CEFC finance to invest in solar PV, lower emissions farm equipment, energy efficient machinery upgrades and biomass energy-from-waste.”
Chief Executive of the NFF, Tony Mahar said the guide collated information on proven and emerging technologies.
He said it establishes how farmers could reduce their energy consumption and lower emissions using realistic cost estimates.
The guide sets out seven steps for farmers to embrace clean energy.
These includes simple improvements to irrigation, heating, cooling and vehicle fuel efficiency, typically requiring an investment of $5,000 or less, and new strategies to generate and store energy such as small-scale wind, solar PV and hydroelectric systems, typically requiring an investment of up to $25,000.
It also details emerging technologies such as micro-grids, biomass generation, precision application and digital sensors, robots and drones which have the potential to revolutionise farming practice.
The 33-page guide can be accessed at this PS News link.
