An Australian-first research project installing floating solar panels on irrigation dams could revolutionise irrigated agriculture by mitigating evaporation and generating energy.
In what would help solve some of the cotton industry's biggest challenges - optimising water retention in the face of a hotter, drier climate, and reducing carbon emissions through the generation of clean energy - the groundbreaking research could save Australian cotton growers water and money, boost productivity, and set a crucial new industry environmental and sustainability standard.
It is a win-win project. Nearly half of water storage volume is lost each year to evaporation, and relocating just half of the current 16.6GW grounded solar panels to water storages could save 296GL of water a year - which equates to more than 118,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools - and generate vast quantities of energy in the process.
The research project - spearheaded by Ag Econ with support from the Cotton Research and Development Corporation (CRDC) - will test the feasibility of installing floating solar photovoltaic (FPV) panels on irrigation storages to mitigate evaporation and create energy.
The $13 million project, called the 'Novel Energy and Evaporative Storage Technologies for Irrigators' (NEESTI), secured $6 million in funding under the Federal Government's $5 billion Future Drought Fund's Resilient Landscapes program, which supports Australian farmers and regional communities to build their drought and climate resilience.
Previous CRDC-supported research has found that managing evaporative losses from on-farm storages will greatly improve cotton's water productivity. However, finding a practical solution is something the industry has been grappling with for decades. The water saved via the FVPs could be used for additional crop production, domestic needs during droughts, water trading, or water for the environment.
The project comes as agricultural supply chains face increasing pressure to lower emissions to meet national and sectorwide targets, which CRDC is prioritising through its Clever Cotton Strategic Plan and cotton's industry wide PLANET. PEOPLE. PADDOCK. Sustainability Framework.
Ag Econ Principal Climate Analyst & Economist Jon Welsh said the project addresses the critical issue of mitigating evaporation loss, improving drought resilience through improved water management and renewable energy generation that producers can actually offset or create income from, made possible through Virtual Energy Networks (VENs).
"This project investigates a practical, sensible and proven solution to store valuable water for longer, building resilience into an irrigated farming system then able to produce more food and fibre" Mr Welsh said.
"Australia faces a critical trilemma of securing water, food, and clean energy. Incorporating floating FPV on storage dams will help address all of those challenges simultaneously.
In addition to Ag Econ and CRDC, the project also involves research partners the University of Southern Queensland and Macquarie University, and will work across a number of agricultural industries outside of cotton, including grains, sugarcane, pecans, and rice.
"We know FPV projects can work but there are serious challenges and a critical research gap remains - and that is how to develop a practical and cost-effective solution ready for farm rollout.
"The project research will deliver technical, economic, policy, and legal research to create a long-term and sustainable Australian FPV market for cotton and other irrigators."
While the Australian cotton industry has improved its water use efficiency by almost 50% from 1997, the most significant loss of on-farm water is the evaporation from on-farm storages.
CRDC Senior Innovation Broker Susan Maas said this research builds on the significant gains Australian cotton had already achieved.
"The Australian cotton industry has made huge gains in water use efficiency over the past 30 years, driven by research, development and extension. Today, we are one of the most water-efficient cotton producing countries in the world," Susan said.
"There are still improvements to be made, which is why we continue to invest in this crucial area of research. Mitigating evaporation losses is a huge unrealised opportunity for the industry and the environment.
"This project could be a game changer for our industry, local domestic storages and other irrigation industries by enhancing our resilience, productivity, and sustainability in a changing climate."
