Harvesting the Sun, and powering the farm, Pg13

Key Highlights:

• India is hosting the 7th Agrivoltaics World Conference at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi from October 21 to 23.
• The conference theme, 'Powering the Global South', highlights India's commitment to sharing agricultural innovation and energy transition benefits.
• Agrivoltaics (AgriPV) enables farmers to produce clean electricity while simultaneously cultivating land, offering an additional revenue stream.
• The PM-KUSUM scheme is being expanded to accelerate solar energy generation by creating separate space for AgriPV.
• The initiative aims to empower small and marginal farmers, who constitute approximately 86% of India's farming community.
• A Centre of Excellence (CoE) on Agri-Photovoltaics with 100 kW capacity was established in 2025 at ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI).

Agri-Photovoltaics.jpg

Detailed Insights:

• Agrivoltaics provides farmers with an additional source of revenue from electricity generation and reduces costs by replacing diesel or purchased power.
• The system creates a favorable microclimate, offering protection against heat stress, drought, excessive solar radiation, and hail for crops.
• Optimal crop selection, emphasizing shade tolerance and stable productivity under intermittent radiation, is crucial for successful AgriPV adoption.
• AgriPV designs typically aim to maintain around 70% or more of natural incoming radiation at the crop canopy, with adjustable panels providing flexibility.
• The CoE on Agri-Photovoltaics is jointly led by ICAR and the National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) under the guidance of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
• Data generated from the CoE over two years will provide technical suggestions on specific crop suitability, boundary conditions, and optimal integration of agricultural fields and solar panels.
• India's experience in AgriPV includes research by ICAR’s Central Arid Zone Research Institute in Jodhpur and BAIF’s Rural Innovation Centre in Pune.
• The International Solar Alliance, launched by India and France, provides a foundation for cooperation on solar energy, creating further scope for joint AgriPV research and training.
• Ensuring farmer trust, protecting land ownership, and involving tenant cultivators and women farmers in project design and benefit sharing are critical for successful implementation.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Agrivoltaics (AgriPV): A system that integrates solar photovoltaic panels on agricultural land, allowing for simultaneous electricity generation and crop cultivation.
• PM-KUSUM: A scheme by the Indian government aimed at solarizing agricultural pumps and promoting decentralized solar power generation in rural areas.
• Viksit Bharat: A vision to transform India into a developed nation by 2047, focusing on economic prosperity, social progress, and good governance.
• International Solar Alliance (ISA): An intergovernmental organization of 121+ member countries, primarily "sunshine countries," working to promote solar energy.