A group of growers, researchers and industry representatives gathered at Plume Estate in Bickley on Tuesday 28 October to visit an agrisolar installation, where solar panels have been installed above grapevines in a commercial vineyard.
The installation is part of the national project Plant production agrivoltaics across southern Australia, led by the University of Melbourne. In Western Australia, the project is coordinated by the South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub (SW WA Hub), in partnership with Plume Estate, Sunrise Energy Group, and the University of Western Australia (UWA).
Organised by the SW WA Hub, the event gave participants the chance to explore both the potential benefits and the practical challenges of combining solar energy production with viticulture. Attendees were also introduced to the range of data being captured at the site to help assess agrisolar’ impact on vineyard performance and fruit quality.
SW WA Hub Director Dr Jo Wisdom opened the session by providing context and global examples of agrisolar, a system that can help growers manage heat stress, frost and water use while producing renewable energy. GGA and Hub Innovation Specialist Doug Hamilton outlined the origins and goals of the trial, as well as the contribution of each partner involved in the national project. If you’d like to know more, download the presentation slides.
Dr Caitlin Moore, Senior Lecturer at UWA, detailed the scientific elements of the study. Sensors installed at Plume Estate will monitor solar radiation, canopy temperature, soil moisture, leaf gas exchange, and fruit quality, while a weather station will record rainfall, air temperature, humidity and wind. This data will be used to evaluate how solar panels influence grapevine productivity, quality and growing conditions over time. Download Caitlin’s presentation slides to learn more.
For Marcus Geisler, vigneron and owner of Plume Estate, the potential advantages of agrisolar are both practical and commercial. Producing renewable energy within the vineyard could help reduce energy costs, and if scaled up, could contribute to Plume Estate wines being marketed as sustainably produced.
Andrew Easton, Project and Commercial Analyst at Sunrise Energy Group, explained the technical design behind the installation. The solar array was engineered to allow sufficient height for vineyard machinery, such as tractors, to operate beneath the panels.
A key focus of the day was gathering feedback from participants, who discussed the potential barriers to adopting agrisolar (such as unknown impact (negative or positive) on grape yield and quality, how a return on investment can best be achieved, lack of relevant local information on the benefits of the system) as well as what evidence or support would help them make informed investment decisions. Insights from these discussions will guide future extension activities and help tailor information about the opportunities and challenges of agrivoltaics for the region.
While this trial is focused on viticulture, agrisolar could also have applications in other horticultural industries, such as berry production. For example, blueberries are particularly vulnerable to heat stress and sunburn, and berry farms are often energy-intensive operations, relying heavily on irrigation pumps and cool rooms during summer. Integrating solar infrastructure could therefore help manage crop quality while supplying on-farm energy needs.
The project is still in its early stages, but it represents an important step toward understanding how renewable energy solutions can enhance the resilience of Western Australia’s viticulture systems.
Want to stay in the loop?
The SW WA Hub will host another event early next year to share preliminary trial data from Plume Estate. Sign up to the Project Follower list to be first to know.
