Solar Power Meets Farming: Govt Plans Massive Agrivoltaics Push Under PM-KUSUM
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi announces an ambitious agrivoltaics programme to let farmers grow crops and generate solar power on the same land.
In a move to harmonize India's energy goals with its agricultural needs, the Union Government is preparing to launch a major agrivoltaics programme as part of the next phase of the PM-KUSUM scheme. The initiative aims to empower farmers to generate solar electricity without sacrificing their agricultural land, creating a dual-income stream from the same piece of earth.
Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Pralhad Joshi, revealed these plans while addressing the seventh AGRIVoltaics Conference held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. He emphasized that the government is actively exploring methods to scale up solar power generation in a way that does not compromise food production, especially as competition for land intensifies across various sectors.
What is Agrivoltaics?
Agrivoltaics is an innovative land-use strategy where solar panels are installed at an elevated height above agricultural land. This setup allows crops to grow underneath the panels, effectively utilizing the space for both energy production and farming. This approach is seen as a critical solution for India, where the demand for renewable energy often clashes with the necessity of maintaining arable land.
Minister Joshi pointed out that since nearly 85 per cent of India's farmers fall into the small and marginal categories, it is impractical to ask them to divert their limited land exclusively for electricity generation. Agrivoltaics removes this "either-or" dilemma by allowing both activities to coexist.
The Potential: Land and Yields
The scale of opportunity for this technology in India is immense. According to estimates shared by the Minister:
- Approximately 47.5 million hectares of India's total 160 million hectares of cropland are technically suitable for agrivoltaics.
- This represents nearly 30 per cent of the country's total cropland.
- Six states—Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh—together hold nearly 50 per cent of India's estimated agrivoltaic potential.
Beyond energy, the system may actually benefit the crops. Minister Joshi noted that field studies indicate a well-designed agrivoltaic system can improve agricultural yields by 10 to 20%.
The Cost Challenge
Despite the promising benefits, the transition to agrivoltaics faces a significant financial hurdle: the cost of installation. Because these systems require elevated structures to allow farming underneath, they are more expensive than traditional ground-mounted solar plants.
Comparing the Costs:
- Installation: Agri PV plants can cost roughly 25 to 30% more than conventional solar setups.
- Electricity Cost: Power generated from agrivoltaic systems is estimated at Rs 3.20 to Rs 3.30 per unit, whereas conventional ground-mounted projects cost approximately Rs 2.50 to Rs 2.60 per unit.
Minister Joshi stressed that addressing this price gap is essential for making the programme commercially viable on a large scale. However, he expressed optimism that as the technology is deployed more widely, costs will decline—mirroring the sharp drop in tariffs seen in the conventional solar sector over the last few years.
While the Minister described the upcoming PM-KUSUM phase as one of the world's most ambitious agrivoltaic programs, specific details regarding the financial allocation, capacity targets, or a definitive launch timeline have not yet been disclosed.