Source: TH
Subject: Agriculture/Science and technology
Context: In the 2026-27 Budget, the outlay for the PM-KUSUM scheme nearly doubled to ₹5,000 crore, with the government considering a National Agri-photovoltaics Mission to achieve 10 GW of capacity.
- This move positions Agri-photovoltaics (agriPV) as a primary solution to India’s land-use conflict between food security and the 300 GW solar target for 2030.
About Agri-photovoltaics (agriPV):
What it is?
- AgriPV is a dual-use land technology that integrates solar power generation with agricultural cultivation on the same parcel of land. By mounting solar panels at specific heights or in spaced rows, it allows crops to grow underneath or between them, turning a single field into a powerhouse for both food and energy.
Key Features of agriPV:
- Elevated Mounting: Panels are fixed several meters high to ensure enough clearance for farmers, laborers, and even tractors to operate beneath them.
- Variable Design: Systems can be row-based (panels between crops), vertical (bifacial panels capturing sun from both sides), or greenhouse-integrated.
- Micro-climate Control: The panels create a shading effect that can reduce soil temperature and protect sensitive crops from extreme weather like hail.
- Technical Optimization: Uses specific spacing and tilt to balance the Light Saturation Point of crops with maximum solar energy capture.
Opportunities for India in agriPV:
- Income Diversification: Farmers gain a secondary, stable revenue stream from selling surplus power or leasing land to developers.
Example: A farmer in Maharashtra can earn fixed rent from a developer while still harvesting a full yield of chillies or brinjal.
- Water Conservation: Partial shading reduces evapotranspiration, allowing the soil to retain moisture longer and reducing irrigation needs.
Example: In arid regions of Rajasthan, agriPV can significantly lower the water frequency required for shade-tolerant crops like garlic or onions.
- Land Neutrality: It solves the food vs. fuel debate by utilizing existing agricultural land for solar without diverting it from food production.
Example: With 50% of India’s land under farming, converting even a small fraction to agriPV helps hit the 300 GW solar goal without clearing forests.
- Rural Industrialization: Generated power can run on-farm ancillary services like cold storage, reducing post-harvest losses.
Example: Solar-powered cold rooms in Karnataka can be fueled directly by the overhead panels, increasing the shelf-life of tomatoes.
- Climate Resilience: Panels act as a physical shield against increasing instances of heatwaves and unseasonal heavy rainfall.
Example: In Madhya Pradesh, agriPV structures can prevent heat stress in leafy vegetables, maintaining crop quality during peak summer.
Initiatives Taken:
- PM-KUSUM 2.0: Budget 2026-27 increased funding to ₹5,000 crore to promote decentralized solar power centered on farmers.
- Proposed National Agri-photovoltaics Mission: A dedicated 10-GW component aimed at scaling the technology beyond pilot stages.
- Viability Gap Funding (VGF): Government plans to provide financial support to offset the high initial capital costs of elevated solar structures.
- Pilot Installations: Approximately 50 national-level pilots are currently evaluating different panel-crop combinations across diverse agro-climatic zones.
Challenges Associated:
- High Capital Intensity: Elevated structures require more steel and specialized engineering, making them costlier than ground-mounted solar.
Example: The cost per megawatt for an agriPV plant is significantly higher than a standard utility-scale plant due to the 3-meter high mounting.
- Yield Uncertainty: Incorrect shading or poor design can lead to reduced photosynthesis and lower agricultural output.
Example: If panels are too dense, sun-loving crops like certain cereal varieties may see a drop in grain weight.
- Regulatory Hurdles: Lack of clear guidelines on land-use classification (Agri vs. Industrial) can lead to legal and tax complications.
Example: Farmers may fear losing agricultural status and associated subsidies if their land is reclassified for commercial power generation.
- Technical Skill Gap: Maintaining both a high-tech solar array and a sensitive crop matrix requires a dual skill set that most farmers currently lack.
Example: Cleaning dust off panels without damaging the crops below or using heavy machinery in restricted spaces remains a logistical challenge.
- Grid Connectivity: Many remote farms lack the last-mile infrastructure to feed surplus power back into the national grid.
Example: A successful agriPV farm in a remote tribal belt might struggle to sell power if the local substation is overloaded or too far away.
Way Ahead:
- Region-Specific Planning: Develop a Crop-Matrix for different states (e.g., Ragi for Karnataka, Turmeric for MP) to optimize shade-yield ratios.
- Clear Governance Frameworks: Establish uniform Dual-Use land laws to protect farmer land rights and provide long-term revenue clarity.
- Accessible Finance: Create low-interest Agri-Solar Loans and involve FPOs to aggregate small landholdings for better bargaining power.
- Standardization of Design: The CWC and Ministry of Power should issue benchmark designs for mounting structures to reduce investor uncertainty.
- R&D Expansion: Increase the number of Live Labs across all 15 agro-climatic zones to gather more empirical evidence on long-term soil health.
Conclusion:
AgriPV represents a transformative shift from competing land use to complementary land synergy, harmonizing India’s hunger for energy with its need for food security. By integrating this into the PM-KUSUM framework and providing fiscal support, India can empower its farmers to become Urjadatas (energy providers) alongside being Annadatas (food providers). Ultimately, this dual-purpose model is the backbone of a resilient, net-zero rural economy for 2070.
