Swap the diesel pumps for solar.
It's never been a better time to switch your irrigation from diesel to solar. Government incentives are available, and paying a finance company costs less than paying the diesel bill.
Why farmers are switching
Diesel only goes one way
Every hour a diesel pump runs, you buy the fuel again, plus the servicing and the trips to fill it.
The sun's up when the water moves
Irrigation runs hardest in the heat of the day, which is when solar makes the most power.
Food security on your terms
Water on the crop when it counts, without waiting on a fuel delivery or a fuel price.
Less to service
Solar pumps and batteries have far fewer moving parts than a diesel engine.
Pay the finance company, not the diesel bill
Cheaper than diesel, and the system is yours at the end.
Finance repayments
We set the package up so the repayment sits at or under what you spend on diesel now. As a farmer, you're not out of pocket.
Energy from the sun
Paid off inside 5 years. From then on the energy comes from the sun, and the diesel money stays on the farm.
We put the finance together
We help you put a finance package together, sized to the system and the season. Finance is available through Solaris Finance, or bring your own lender.
Government incentives are available
Solar certificates take money off systems up to 100 kW, and the federal battery discount covers business batteries from 5 to 100 kWh. In Queensland there is the QRIDA concessional Sustainability Loan, free QFF farm energy audits, and Ergon cashback on some solar pump swaps. The NSW Government publishes a free Solar Pumping Guide.
Rules change, so we check what applies to your farm before the design is priced. The current list, with sources, is on commercial rebates.
Solar runs the pumps while the sun is up. For night watering or a run of cloudy days, a battery or your existing diesel carries the rest. The diesel becomes the backup, not the bill.
Bore, stock water and smaller pumps are a different job: see solar water pumping, where the diesel maths is shown. For a worked farm example, read Wilandra Farms solar irrigation.
Common questions
Can solar run my irrigation pumps?
Yes. Irrigation pumps do most of their work in daylight, when solar makes the most power. The design sizes the panels to the pumps and the water you move, and a battery or your existing diesel covers night watering and cloudy runs.
How does the finance work?
You pay a finance company for about 5 years, with the repayment set up to sit at or under what you spend on diesel now, so you're not out of pocket. Then the system is paid off, and for the next 15 to 20 years your energy comes from the sun. We help you put the finance package together.
Are there government incentives for solar irrigation?
Yes. Solar certificates take money off systems up to 100 kW, and the federal battery discount covers business batteries from 5 to 100 kWh. In Queensland there is the QRIDA concessional Sustainability Loan, free QFF farm energy audits, and Ergon cashback on some solar pump swaps. The current list, with sources, is on our commercial rebates page.
How do I start?
Send the form on this page or call 0483 927 257. Tell us about the farm, the water and the pumps, and ask how we can help fund your irrigation system.
Let's fund your irrigation system
Contact us about how we can help fund your irrigation system. Tell us about the farm, the water and the pumps.
Prefer to talk it through? Call or text 0483 927 257.