Learn
We have developed a Learning Hub to support local schools with curriculum-linked content about electricity and renewable energy.
Take a look at the stand-alone website which features videos, interactive game & lesson plans for upper primary & lower secondary students.
neoenlearning.com
Neoen are proud to be leading the way in ‘agrisolar’. The Griffith Solar Farm has sheep grazing among its panels.
A short video featuring the landowner and grazier at another of Neoen’s solar farm explains how well agriculture and solar can combine, bringing some unexpected benefits and can be found here Dubbo Agriculture and Solar Video.
A summary info pack is also available which summarises all of Neoen’s initiatives in this area.
About Agrisolar
2017 Parkes Trial
Our first sheep grazing trial was conducted at Parkes Solar Farm in 2017 during a high rainfall and high produce year. It was a joint exercise between Neoen, local landowners and solar construction company Bouygues.
The 3 week trial involved 400 sheep within a 15 hectares zone to help reduce dry grass under the solar panels in order to manage grass fire hazard. It successfully showed that this combined land use had positive outcomes for farmers and solar operators.
2019 Expert Review
By 2019 sheep grazing had begun on all five of our operating solar farms in NSW and Victoria. These activities were assessed by an independent grazier expert to document existing practices and make recommendations on how to integrate grazing into each stage of the solar farm’s lifecycle.
2020 CEC Agrisolar Report
We are leading a collaboration with the Clean Energy Council to bring together research, case studies and lessons from across the industry into a ground-breaking Agrisolar Report. This will help to guide and inform farmers, solar farm operators and government on how best to integrate agriculture and solar.
We are also continuing to explore other opportunities for combined land use including biodiversity and conservation, indigenous crops and carbon farming.
2019 DUBBO AGRISOLAR
Tom Warren, host landowner at Dubbo Solar Hub has been grazing sheep on the land under the panels since 2018 and has learnt from this experience about how to make this work well.
A short video about his experience can be viewed at the top of this page or on YouTube by searching ‘Dubbo Agrisolar’
There are no issues with sheep-grazing co-existing with solar farms. It’s an opportunity and win-win for farmers and renewable energy producers.
Tom Warren, Land Owner
Dubbo Solar Hub in NSW
Agrisolar Guide
As pioneers of agrisolar Neoen led an industry -wide initiative to share emerging lessons on agrisolar which resulted in the development of Australia’s first Agrisolar Guide.
Our industry body, the Clean Energy Council brought together research, case studies and lessons from around the world to inform farmers, solar farm operators on ways to integrate agriculture with large-scale solar.
© 2024 Neoen
Acknowledgement of Country artwork: ‘Celebrating Renewal’ by Teho Ropeyarn, 2022
