Farmers are constantly looking for ways to do things better. The innovative ways some of our primary producers are making use of renewable energy means that growing our food and raising our animals will become both cheaper and cleaner, ensuring Australia remains a global leader in agriculture. Clean energy is helping to pave the way for more independence and prosperity for our farmers long into the future. Advances in technology mean that we can do everything we could before, and in some cases, a bit extra – and the only thing we have to give up is the pollution.

A kilometre-long solar road has been installed in the Chinese city of Jinan as the country looks to take a leading role in the global energy transition. The road uses 5875 square metres of solar panels that are installed under a glass-like surface that replaces more traditional asphalt. While the concept of solar roads is still in its infancy – with issues such as cost and durability preventing their widespread adoption – a number of countries around the world are investigating the technology, with the Netherlands installing a solar footpath in 2014 and Japan planning to install solar roads as part of its commitment to make the 2020 Tokyo Olympics environmentally sustainable.

The Chinese province of Anhui built a massive floating solar farm on top of an abandoned coal mine. An even larger floating solar plant will come online by May 2018. Due to rising concerns surrounding air pollution-related deaths, China is trying to invest more heavily in renewable energy projects. The new solar farms are part of the global shift away from energy generated from fossil fuels.

Trying to make large buildings energy-neutral, companies are taking advantage of building windows' surface area to harvest solar energy.