Agriculture is one of the prominent sectors of the Indian economy providing livelihoods to about 65-70% of India’s population. It needs a lot of public sector support for sustainable growth. Green Revolution started in the 1960s made India self-sufficient in food production, mainly due to the introduction of a high-yielding variety of seeds, the use of fertilizers, irrigation, & machines like tractors, harvesters, etc.
Much of the green revolution depends on farm mechanization. Using machinery reduces human labor efforts and speeds up farm operations, thereby adding to farm efficiency and productivity. Due to the use of machines in the agricultural sector, the demand for renewable energy increased. Therefore, experts found out Solar-cum-agricultural farms could be one way to fulfill this demand.
The power produced by solar panels or photovoltaic (PV) modules installed in the fields can help meet the need of the farm operations besides selling the remaining power. Also, the rainwater falling over the solar panels can be collected for irrigation, turning it into a solar-cum-agriculture-cum-rainwater harvesting farm. This concept with various designs and models depending on the availability of sunlight has already been produced good results in several countries, notably Japan, China, Germany, and the UK.
In India, the Jodhpur-based Central Arid Zone Research Institute (CAZRI) evolved a system having 105 KW capacity, which is the most suitable and scientifically tried and tested model of Agriculture Voltage Technology.
How it is good for India ? :
- This system is very well suited for our country’s large spanning western arid zones viz., west Rajasthan, northwest Gujarat, and parts of Haryana and Punjab. This zone receives abundant sunlight around the year.
- In this farm, about 49% of the entire land that lies between the arrays of photovoltaic panels and 24% falling beneath these panels remain free for crop cultivation.
- The crops, which grow short or require too much water, can be cultivated beneath the panels in such a farm. It promotes crop diversity as pulses and vegetable crops could be farmed below the solar panels.
- This technology can increase the income of farmers by the generation of electricity and growing of cash crops simultaneously on the same piece of land.
Steps taken by Government:
- Government in support of agriculture introduced PM KUSUM (Kisan Urja Suraksha Evam Utthaan Mahabhiyaan) scheme and this Agriculture Voltage Technology system is getting implemented under this scheme.
- By keeping the goal of reducing the consumption of diesel and electricity for agricultural irrigation, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved this scheme on February 19, 2019.
- Ministry of New and Renewable Energy launched this for installation of solar pumps and grid-connected solar and other renewable power plants of 25,750MW capacities in the country farms by 2022.
In addition, the National Solar Energy Federation of India (NSEFI) has also documented 13 operational Agri-voltaic systems within the country managed by different solar PV functionaries and public Institutes.
There are total 3 components of this scheme:
Component I: 10,000 MW of Decentralized ground-mounted grid-connected renewable power plants of individual plant size up to 2MW.
Component II: Installation of 17.50 lacs stand-alone Solar Powered Agriculture pumps of individual pump capacity up to 7.5HP.
Component III: Solarisation of 10 lacs Grid-connected Agriculture pumps of individual pump capacity up to 7.5HP.
Under component-I, there is a provision for the installation of an Agri-Voltaic System in farmers’ fields with a capacity ranging from 500 KW to 2 MW. State Nodal Agencies will be implementing this scheme while coordinating with States/UTs, Electric distribution companies (DISCOMs), and farmers.
Future Aspects:
- Stable and continuous source of income for the rural landowners for 25 years by utilization of their dry/uncultivable land.
- Sufficient local solar/ other renewable energy-based power is available for feeding rural pump-set loads, which require power mostly during the daytime.
- Power plants will be located closer to the agriculture loads or electrical substations in a decentralized manner; it will result in reduced transmission losses.
- Solar pumps will save the expenditure incurred on diesel for running diesel pumps and provide the farmers a reliable source of irrigation.
We must also keep in mind that setting up such integrated Agri-voltaic farms is costly; heavy investments may be unaffordable for most Indian farmers. Therefore, it would be better if the solar energy entrepreneurs must be encouraged by the government to consider joining hands with the farmers on mutually agreed terms, instead of going in for solo photovoltaic units. Apart from switching to solar power, farmers should also switch over to drip irrigation mode, which saves water and power with increased crop output.
In all, the success of this scheme lies in the earnest implementation by states & farmers in collaboration with energy entrepreneurs.
–Pradeep Kumar
References:
– Business Standards
– https://www.india.gov.in/topics/agriculture
– Wikipedia
– Pics credit: https://www.grainmart.in/