How agriPV can turn India’s farms into dual-purpose powerhouses, PgII

Key Highlights:

• The PM-KUSUM scheme's outlay nearly doubled to ₹5,000 crore in the 2026-27 Budget, emphasizing solar power production for farmers.
• Agri-photovoltaics (agriPV) integrates solar systems with farming, enabling electricity generation and crop cultivation on the same land.
• India aims for 300 GW of installed solar capacity by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2070, making land use optimization crucial.
• There are approximately 50 pilot agriPV installations nationwide, evaluating various panel-crop combinations and economic feasibility.

Detailed Insights:

• AgriPV systems vary in design, including elevated, row-based, vertical, and greenhouse-integrated systems, each suited to different crops and regions.
• Crop selection is vital; shade-tolerant crops thrive under panels, while others grow between rows, varying by agro-climatic region like Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, and Maharashtra.
• Business models for agriPV include farmer-owned systems, cooperatives, private developer leases, and state-led projects, each with different financial and operational structures.
• AgriPV offers environmental benefits such as reduced evapotranspiration, improved water-use efficiency, and crop protection against extreme weather.
• Economic barriers to agriPV adoption include high capital costs, uncertain crop responses to shading, and unclear land rights and revenue-sharing arrangements.
• Policy support, such as including agriPV in a ‘National Agri-photovoltaics Mission’ under PM-KUSUM 2.0, could improve project bankability and reduce financial risks.
• State governments can support agriPV by identifying suitable clusters, streamlining approvals, and integrating it into farmer training programs.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Agri-photovoltaics (agriPV): Integrating solar energy generation and agricultural crop production on the same land area.
• PM-KUSUM: Indian government scheme focused on providing energy and water security to farmers through solar power.
• Evapotranspiration: The process by which water is transferred from the land to the atmosphere by evaporation from the soil and other surfaces and by transpiration from plants.