The switch is already underway on Australian farms

Cara and John are demonstrating how electrification and renewable energy can help Australian farmers cut costs, reduce emissions and improve the productivity of their operations.

Cotton growers Cara and John were spending around $300,000 each year using diesel to pump water across their property near Narromine. Seeking a more cost-effective and sustainable solution, they began exploring how renewable energy and electrification could reduce their reliance on diesel. Their first step was installing a solar-diesel hybrid pumping system, which reduced fuel consumption and saved them around $180,000 in its first year of operation. While this delivered significant benefits, the absence of battery storage has limited the system's ability to optimise the use of renewable energy. Encouraged by these early results, Cara and John investigated the benefits of connecting their pumping infrastructure to the electricity grid. With support from their energy provider and an Accredited Service Provider, they assessed connection costs, payback periods and the most effective pathway to electrification. The results demonstrated a compelling business case. Using electricity to move water across the farm costs less than half as much as diesel, while reducing emissions by up to 70 per cent when combined with on-farm renewable energy generation. With an expected payback period of two to four years, the project offered clear financial and environmental returns. While grid connection costs and network constraints can present challenges for some farming businesses, electrification opens up significant opportunities for regional communities. Once connected to the grid, farms can adopt technologies such as battery storage and electric agricultural machinery and, in some cases, export surplus electricity to neighbouring properties. Case study credit: Essential Energy.