A SOLAR seed looks to have sprouted in the minds of western NSW irrigators with farmers forecasting hybrid power technology to become the norm within a decade.
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The promise of industry insight, and a 100kw solar-diesel hybrid demonstration, drew more than 110 farmers to Narromine for a solar irrigators field day put on by the Lower Macquarie Groundwater Irrigators Association (LMGIA), western Landcare group Macquarie 2100, and the state government.
Macquarie 2100’s John Ryan said the turnout far exceeded expectation, with hundreds of inquiries via phone and email on top of a strong crowd on the day.
Mr Ryan said the hunger for information in the crowd showed him enough to predict a wide-scale take-up of the technology by 2025.
“I think if you don’t have solar, and you're an irrigator, in five or 10 years you will be very much out on your own,” Mr Ryan said.
“Yes, there is already a lot of data and information out there about the technology, but I think farmers don’t know how to get a hold of it.
“To be able to see things first hand, for farmers to be able to talk to others about the good, bad and ugly of their experience - that’s where you get the ball rolling.”
Being able to demonstrate the cost benefit of solar and hybrid was cruicial, he said.
“Farmers will look at the triple bottom line, and so they should,” Mr Ryan said.
“People are saying these things can pay for themselves within four years. And this is cockies telling cockies, not salesmen flogging a product.”
LMGIA chairman Matt Watt said he too expected more irrigators in his region to turn to the technology, if only for financial reasons.
“Pretty much the name of the game these days is to minimise you input cost - and solar at this point is the best option,” Mr Watt said.
Mr Watts said take-up of the technology in western NSW had started slowly but would no doubt increase.
“We’re early stages at the moment . There’s only a couple of systems in place as of this pumping season.
“But those guys who’ve got systems in, the numbers are adding up.”
Karin Stark, western regional Clean Energy Program co-ordinator for the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage, said she expected the hybrid energy sector to grow well beyond the program’s lifespan of June 2017.
“We were put in place to help transform the market, then step away,” Mrs Stark said.
“And some might be surprised to know that region often seen as conservative and resistant to change is among the most progressive.
“It is basically In their interest - financially and environmentally - to make a change.
“Why would you pay for diesel when you can you use the sun?”
