Uralla producer Justin Hoad has already made the switch. His Merino sheep and cattle breeding operation in Northern NSW now runs on electric motorbikes for stock work, a change he says pays for itself in cost and convenience.
“An electric bike costs about $1.50 to charge by grid or almost free with solar,” Mr Hoad said. “It’s quiet, light, no gears and no oil changes.”
Mr Hoad’s experience is exactly the kind of shift a new national guide is hoping to help other regional business owners make. RE-Alliance and Farmers for Climate Action have released a practical guide to help farmers and other rural and regional small-business owners assess electrification options, including solar, batteries, electric machinery, heating, stand-alone power systems, microgrids and energy trading.
The guide comes as rising power bills, volatile diesel prices and unreliable supply push regional businesses to look for better ways to meet their energy needs.
Report co-author and RE-Alliance Board Director Karin Stark said the guide would help regional business owners make informed energy choices.
“Across regional Australia, farms and small businesses are already finding ways to cut energy costs, reduce their exposure to diesel prices and gain more control over their power supply,” Ms Stark said.
“But there is no single solution that will work for every business or every region. For some businesses, the best first step might be solar or an electric pump. For others, it could be battery storage, electric machinery or a stand-alone power system.”
“This guide cuts through the complexity. It explains the main options in plain English, where they work best, their benefits and limitations, and the questions people should ask before investing.”
“Australian regional businesses have always moved with the times. Now the times are electric.”
The guide comes as the federal government prepares to expand the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme from 100 kW to 1 MW from Thursday, 1 October 2026, subject to the necessary regulations being in place. The change is expected to reduce the upfront cost of eligible mid-sized solar installations by around 20 per cent.
“The federal government’s decision to extend solar support to larger systems is welcome and could make solar stack up for many more farms and regional businesses,” Ms Stark said.
The guide sets out the main technologies now available to regional businesses. Solar panels can be installed on rooftops, on ground-mounted structures, or on unused land, with farming able to continue underneath larger systems through what is known as agrivoltaics, including the grazing of sheep or cattle. Battery and thermal storage can help businesses make better use of solar power generated during the day, while stand-alone power systems combine solar, batteries, inverters and backup generators to provide reliable power to businesses in remote locations or those with frequent outages.
The guide also covers newer options such as microgrids, community batteries and energy trading arrangements, including virtual power plants, which allow businesses with solar and batteries to be paid for supporting the wider electricity network.
Farmers for Climate Action CEO Verity Morgan-Schmidt said farmers were interested in technology that could make their businesses more efficient, resilient and competitive.
“On a farm, every piece of equipment has to earn its keep. Electrification should be no different,” Ms Morgan-Schmidt said.
“As machinery, vehicles and energy systems change, farmers need practical information to decide which technologies can genuinely improve their operations.”
“This guide will help farmers weigh up the costs, benefits and limitations, and take advantage of new opportunities as more of the economy moves to electricity.”
The report is based on existing research and interviews with 11 farming businesses in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland, and includes case studies showing how the technology is already being used in the regions. They range from a Rutherglen winery using solar and battery storage to manage its winemaking loads, to an almond orchard in remote NSW using a 4.9 MW solar and battery microgrid to cut its reliance on diesel generators, to a piggery near Young using effluent to generate its own electricity through biogas.
The guide notes that electrification will not be right for every business immediately, and that the right technology depends on factors including a business’s energy use, its budget, local grid capacity and reliability, and how much land is available. It recommends business owners start by understanding their current and future energy use, then get independent advice on their specific needs before making a major capital investment.
For Mr Hoad, the case for electrifying at least some of his farm equipment has already been made.
“It’s a perfect example of how electrification cuts reliance on imported fuel and makes it easier to do daily farm work,” Mr Hoad said.
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