Agrisolar News #8
Welcome back to AgrisolarNews on a VERY special occasion!
We are thrilled to advise all our partners and stakeholders that our Stage 1 CRC Bid was completed on Friday April 25th, 2025.
In all, we submitted the bid on behalf of 64 partners, having collated cash + in-kind contributions to the value of $78.2 million. We have asked the Commonwealth for a funding total of $40 million.
We will keep all our partners informed of the bid’s progress – according to Cooperative Research Australia’s timeline, we expect to hear of the Stage 1 result in July which will let us know whether we have progressed to Stage 2.
Our Bid in a Nutshell
The bid application was a very lengthy document, so we haven't summarised in full here, but please see below for the short project description which provides a snapshot of the proposal:
The Agrisolar CRC will develop solutions that integrate solar technology with farming to enable the emergence of agrisolar as a mainstream approach to Australia’s renewables transition. Through place-based demonstrations in farming and production systems nationwide, our CRC will link up innovative technologies and agronomic practices with energy systems and value chains. It will deliver economic benefits for landholders, regional communities, and rural industries, with social and environmental co-benefits. The CRC will grow a future-ready sovereign sector that embeds renewable energy and climate resilience into agricultural production by uniting producers, innovators, manufacturers, technology providers, energy players, and rural finance.
Partners will receive a version of the final application shortly, via direct email for their records.
Our network has grown!
A lot of partners have joined in the last few weeks – so many we cannot highlight them all! Most logos have now gone up on the website – please see here. If you are a partner but have not sent your logo, please do!
Announcing - the Agrisolar CRC’s Board
We are delighted to announce that we confirmed our full prospective Board of Directors for the CRC prior to submission.
Meet the final team:
Prof. Rebecca Yang
Independent Board Director
Chris Sounness
Independent Board Director
Karin Stark
Independent Board Director
Peter Vaughan
Independent Board Director
What’s next?
FAQs:
What happens in between Stage 1 and 2 of CRC bids?
First and foremost, we will be taking a tiny break for the next two weeks. A big thank you to all those who worked tirelessly, answered after hours calls, and supported the core team to get the bid over the line!
Second, after we have regrouped, we will start working through the requirements for Stage 2 submission. This will involve some partner workshops, further project planning in addition to the amazing work already scoped, and introducing partners within our consortium to one another where we perceive opportunity for collaboration! Please keep an eye out for workshop invitations.
Will we be progressing to Stage 2?
This is not definite. If our Stage 1 application is successful, we will be invited to submit a Stage 2 application and attend an interview with the CRC Advisory Committee. However, the Stage 2 application window is usually only a 5-6 week period, so per the above we will be working toward Stage 2 submission before we know whether we will be advancing or not. More information on the timeframe is here.
I didn’t formally partner for Stage 1, can I still partner in Stage 2?
Yes! So, please reach out to formalise arrangements and understand how this will work. However, we will only be accepting partners who contribute cash at this stage unless you have already agreed parameters of a contribution with the bid team.
Agrisolar in the Media
The Tatura Smart Farm in VIC have released updated findings: early results on their agrisolar pears show a big drop in fruit surface temperatures and have cut sunburn damage to almost zero!
Scientists have developed a system that harvests rainwater running off PV panels for household use or hydrogen production. Their analysis showed that, in the southern Sahel, the system can meet both the energy and water requirements for electrolysis, with surplus rainwater covering up to 50% of a household’s daily water demand - which will have amazing implications for Agrisolar.
Spain has hit its first weekday of 100% renewable power on their national grid!
Looking to get more involved in the decarbonisation community in NSW?
Join the NSW Decarbonisation Innovation Hub mailing list for monthly updates from our Networks: Land and Primary Industries, Electrification and Energy Systems; and Powerfuels including Hydrogen!
