Project lead: University of Melbourne
Project overview
The climate of the Swan Valley and Perth Hills wine regions presents unique challenges, such as high temperatures and reduced water availability during the growing season. These conditions make it an ideal candidate for the demonstration of agri-voltaic solutions, where solar panels are installed above the grape vines in a vineyard.
The SW WA Hub, in partnership with industry partners, has installed a first of its kind solar array above a commercial vineyard at Plume Estate in the Perth Hills. This demonstration site will serve as a proof-of-concept for deploying agrisolar in Western Australia’s viticultural systems.
Soil, climate, vine, yield and quality data will be captured at the demonstration site, which will be used for modelling production and economic impacts. This demonstration phase is expected to lead to further investment in research, development and adoption of the concept as part of a national CRC Zero Net Emissions project and a proposed Agrisolar CRC.
The Universities of Melbourne, Adelaide and Western Australia all have similar arrays over trial sites and are helping us to understand the impacts on fruit production.
In collaboration with growers and researchers, the unit will support future codesign efforts to better understand co-benefits and trade-offs and 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.
This project is supported by the South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub, through funding from AgriFutures and the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.
Expected outcomes
- Installation of solar panels above, and soil and climate sensors in, viticultural operations across Australia
- Data collection of solar outputs, micro-climate measurements, vine measurements and grape yields and quantities
- Modelling of economic feasibility of agrisolar installations in viticultural and horticultural operations across Australia
- Industry education about the opportunities and challenges of agrisolar
- Industry engagement to co-design the next research, development and extension projects.
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PROJECT FOLLOWER LIST
Plant Production Agrivoltaics across Southern Australia
FAQ
Smart sprays have the potential to reduce evaporation and redirect water for increased crop yield and profit.
Smart sprays components:
- Biodegrade in marine, soil, and compost environments into CO₂, water, and biomass.
- Do not degrade into microplastics in the environment.
- Reduce reliance on fossil fuels and have a decreased carbon footprint as no fossil fuel feedstock is used.
- Do not need to be retrieved from the field – they will biodegrade in situ.
The main component of SMART SPRAYS can be produced by microorganisms through the use of a wide variety of renewable feedstocks, like organic wastes, waste canola oil, brewers waste and glycerol, creating a circular economy.
Plastics and bioplastics can be categorised based on their origin/feedstock (biobased vs. fossil fuel based) and their degradation properties (biodegradable vs. non-biodegradable).
Feedstocks
Fossil-based feedstocks: Derived from petroleum, natural gas, or coal.
Biobased feedstocks: Derived from plants, algae, or agricultural waste products.
Differences in degradation
Download the fact sheet to learn more about plastics and bioplastics.
Biodegradable materials are those that can be fully broken down into natural substances, such as water and carbon dioxide, by naturally occurring microorganisms. In waste management, the term “biodegradable” is broadly used to describe materials that degrade either under composting conditions or in the natural environment. The key distinction is that compostable materials are designed to break down within a specific timeframe under controlled composting conditions, where factors like temperature, moisture, and microbial activity are optimised to accelerate decomposition and biomass formation.
Certified compostable
Compostable refers to a product’s ability to biodegrade into non-toxic, natural elements within a defined timeframe under specific composting conditions. Both fossil-based and bio-based bioplastics can be certified as compostable. However, compostability claims should only be made if the product has been certified to a recognised standard, such as Australian Standards AS 4736-2006 or AS 5810-2010.
Biobased bioplastic biodegradable
Smart sprays belong to this category.
Bioplastics made from bio-based feedstocks that fully break down into natural substances, either under composting conditions or in the natural environment. PHA bioplastics, in particular, are known to degrade effectively in both soil and marine environments.
Fossil-based bioplastic biodegradable
Fossil-based biodegradable plastics make up a relatively small category, which includes materials like PBAT and PCL. While PBAT is both biodegradable and compostable, improper disposal can still have environmental consequences, as its degradation requires specific conditions to occur efficiently.
Biobased bioplastic non-biodegradable
Bioplastics can be derived from bio-based
feedstocks while remaining non-
biodegradable. These materials are
chemically identical to traditional fossil-
based plastics.
Conventional plastics non-biodegradable
These materials do not biodegrade. In Australia, 2.9 million tonnes of plastic waste are discarded each year, with only 13% recycled, while the remaining 87% ends up in landfill.
Reference: State of Bioplastics in Australia, CSIRO, 2024 with permission.
Download the fact sheet to learn more about plastics and bioplastics.
News
Exploring the potential of agrisolar in Western Australia’s vineyards
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.
Resilient Futures: Western Australia’s Study Tour Across Victoria and Tasmania
In September 2025, participants from the South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub (SW WA Hub) joined their counterparts in Victoria and Tasmania for a week-long study tour. The journey brought together Western Australian farmers, researchers, and consultants with peers, industry innovators, and extension professionals from across southern Australia.
Agrisolar project to blend wine and renewable energy
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 Agrivoltaics” project being led by the University of Melbourne.
Resources
ABC Landline | Using the Sun Twice: Growing fruit and vegetables alongside solar
The footprint of the solar industry in rural Australia is changing. Some farmers are already running sheep in paddocks of panels and the next challenge is growing fruit and vegetable crops. Watch the video.
Webinar | Agrisolar opportunities for WA farming webinar
This webinar explored the Plant production agrivoltaics across southern Australia project and looked at how solar energy production and agriculture can work together for resilience, productivity, and sustainability. Watch the webinar recording.
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Collaborators
This project was made possible through funding from AgriFutures and the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund, together with the support and expertise of a range of research and industry partners.
Contact
Doug Hamilton
Innovation Specialist and Broker, South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub
Douglas.Hamilton@gga.org.au
