At the start of July, Doug Hamilton, GGA & SW WA Hub Innovation Broker, finalised the selection of the first “Viti-Voltaics” site to be set up in Western Australia as part of an AgriFutures funded “Plant Production Agri-Voltaics” project being led by the University of Melbourne.
The site will have a solar panel array installed above shiraz vines at Plume Estate, a boutique winery and cellar door located in Bickley, in the Perth Hills area. The project will involve installing a number of sensors at the site and taking measurements of the solar panel production, soil characteristics, vine growth, grape yield and grape quality that will be used to build and validate decision support models.
This demonstration site will serve as a proof-of-concept for deploying agrisolar in WA’s viticultural systems, modelling the impact of adopting the technology in commercial vineyards and engaging the industry. In collaboration with growers and researchers, the unit will support future codesign efforts to refine the system for broader applicability and scalability in the region. Additionally, the facility will host extension and knowledge transfer activities to engage with local growers, industry stakeholders, and policymakers, promoting the adoption of sustainable energy solutions in agriculture.
Doug would like to acknowledge the help of Wines of Western Australia for their help with extending the opportunity to host the site through their network and would like to thank Marcus Geisler, of Plume Estate, for agreeing to host the site.
