Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School to pilot 'agrivoltaic' future of agriculture, solar power

The school will save about $80,000 a year on diesel by installing a new "agrivoltaic" system on its commercial farm.

Agrivoltaics allow for the simultaneous use of land for both solar and agriculture, in part, by simply elevating the solar panels.

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Minister for Agriculture Adam Marshall said it would be a "research piece" to prove the renewable energy technology.

"There's a huge misnomer out there that if you're a farmer you can either farm your land or you can carpet it in solar panels," he said.

"Actually that couldn't be further from the truth.

"We will seek to prove here how you can actually run a commercial grazing operation in conjunction and alongside and literally underneath commercial-scale solar systems."

It will be one of just seven pilot projects funded through the NSW government's Climate Change Research Strategy. Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School is the only school on the list.

Three solar trackers, supporting a 60 kilowatt solar system, will replace four school diesel irrigation pumps with electric pumps energised from the new agrivoltaic solar system.

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The project will be constructed by local renewables firm WYNERGY.

Founder Ben Wynn said the job is to kick off between April and May and be done within about six weeks.

He said renewables can actually enhance fertile grazing and farming land.

Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson said he was proud Farrer was doing the hard work of being the first farm to adopt the new approach.

"We're really pleased to be able to say we're here today at Farrer because they are the ones putting their hand up saying they want to be part of the future," he said.

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