The sun is a common component of solar production and agriculture, so a new company in northern New South Wales will combine the benefits of PV and feed crops in the same soil.

Research shows the benefits of agriculture and collocation teams.

Wynergy, the company of Wynn and business partner Brad Dolahenty, will introduce investors to Werris Creek this week, the first of seven 5 MW farm solar power plants.

Agrivoltaics involves spacing solar panel arrays and lifting modules to allow light to reach the ground at levels that support crop or forage growth. The installation of a sun visor also helps to maintain soil moisture and is highly adaptable to grazing sheep or goats.

Wynergy's mixed land use claims and its guaranteed income for farmers (which will be rented through leased PV and a small initial stake in the project) are being popularized by Tamworth farmers near viable grid connections. Solar farm prospectors have previously been in contact with some people but have not seen the value of participating in the renewable energy boom.

Farmers will receive leases based on installed megawatts of direct current. Once completed, we will plant the land back to local and subtropical perennials, fenced and provided water, and they can operate sheep or goats and make money in this way.

With a landowner agreement, identified grid connection points, and regulatory and physical due diligence, Wynergy is seeking $500,000 ($338,000) in private investment to secure connection and development approval for the Werris Creek project - named Menz Solar Farm Company Inherit the Menz family that owns the land.

As he said, Wynn hopes to “catch the soil” in the first few solar power plants at this time next year, in order to combine the power generation of seven 5 MW projects with the 40 MW power generation planned for the power station. The area is a 75 MW total energy wholesaler.

Part of the land allocated to the Wynergy solar farm is held by indigenous groups, and Wynn and Dolahenty plan to train indigenous people how to install and maintain solar energy as the project gathers steam.

Wynn and Dolahenty's expertise in solar installation, business and agriculture has been honed through the University of New England's Smart Region Incubator launch network service and its AgTech Gateway program. As Wynergy, the partner's vision is to expand into a solar power capacity of 1 GW in the next decade to promote agricultural development.

In Europe, agricultural electrical has been investigated and implemented for more than a decade. In the past year, research at the University of Arizona and Oregon State University has documented strong evidence of the benefits of using land at the same location for agricultural productivity and solar module performance.

The title of the Oregon State University study is “The potential of solar power generation is the largest in the field.” He said a lot about why there is often a tension between clean energy production and agriculture in traditional farming areas, but it also indicates potential benefits.

The study was conducted on the “Irrigation Pastures Frequently Under Water Pressure” on the Rabbit Mountain Agricultural Solar Farm on the Oregon State University campus, which reported soil moisture use efficiency under partial solar panel shading and wind protection. Increased by 328%. These more favorable conditions have increased the biomass under the panel by 90%.

The microclimate generated by biomass transpiration under the panel also causes a decrease in the air temperature around the solar device, thereby improving the performance of the assembly.

Wynn said the benefits of juxtaposing sheep pastures with solar energy include reducing the eagle strike on the lambs. Rumor has it that in a paddock in Glen Innes, a farmer ran in the paddock with traditional solar panels, raising the lambing rate by 140%.