A model of this photo blog was initially printed on October 15, 2024 in Gaon Connection.
As the primary mild of daybreak breaks over the farm, Ravi steps onto the sector to the sight of photo voltaic panels glistening beneath the early morning solar. That is no strange farm; it’s an agrivoltaics set up the place the land is co-utilized for cultivating crops, elevating livestock and harnessing photo voltaic vitality.
Ravi and his co-worker Rajesh oversee this 2.5 MW photo voltaic plant, unfold over 3.4 acres of land in Issapur, on the outskirts of Delhi. The data and abilities from their earlier work in agricultural universities turns out to be useful. They develop a variety of horticultural crops on the farm, together with fruits, greens, spices and livestock feed. This revolutionary method not solely maximizes land use but additionally enhances the sustainability of native farming practices.
Moreover, the Issapur agrivoltaic plant homes a herd of 8-10 cattle which might be reared in a devoted area, beneath the photo voltaic panels, the place they’ll graze. This observe, generally known as solar grazing, permits farmers to diversify their earnings whereas additionally producing renewable energy.
Agrivoltaics vegetation can supply employment alternatives for the local people, generally supplementing their current earnings between sowing and harvesting seasons. Kuldeep, a neighborhood farmer, cultivates mustard on an adjoining farm whereas additionally working as a laborer on the agrivoltaics plant. He mentioned that the set up has been a boon for agricultural laborers like him, who don’t get a lot work between the sowing and harvesting seasons. The cultivation of varied short-term, shade-loving crops on the plant generates an everyday demand for agricultural work, providing staff like Kuldeep better financial alternatives.
“खेती और सोलर साथ में करने से 2 और चूल्हे जल जायेंगे तो सब के लिए अच्छा ही है ना?” – कुलदीप (translation) “It’s good for everybody if farming and solar energy technology can collectively generate earnings for 2 extra households.” – Kuldeep
Aside from the 4 to 5 staff engaged in farming actions, the plant additionally employs three to 4 staff to keep up and function the photo voltaic panels. At the moment, solely one among these staff is a girl.
Co-locating photo voltaic and agricultural actions has the potential to maintain and enhance ladies’s livelihoods, who make up two-thirds of India’s agricultural workforce. Laxmidevi, who has been with the plant since its inception in 2021, misplaced her earlier job at a neighborhood manufacturing facility throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The Issapur plant supplied her with the chance to earn a steady earnings inside her village.
In the present day, she manages the farm’s livestock and the land surrounding the panels and performs a key position within the day-to-day operations of the plant. She has been skilled to help within the activation of the photo voltaic PV system, which produces energy that’s instantly fed into the grid. In a largely male-dominated discipline, initiatives to coach ladies in agrivoltaics play an important position in fostering a extra inclusive technological transition. As expertise scales up, offering coaching to native agricultural staff — especially women — to change into photo voltaic technicians can contribute to preserving and enhancing their livelihoods.
Along with the socio-economic advantages of job creation and livelihood preservation, agrivoltaics might be environmentally useful. Shade from the photo voltaic panels can improve water-use efficiency by lowering the water misplaced by means of evaporation, which is especially advantageous in arid and semi-arid regions. Moreover, the water used to scrub photo voltaic panels might be repurposed for irrigation, as seen on the Cochin International Airport agrivoltaic plant.
Organising an agrivoltaics plant could require farmers to change their crop selections and restructure current practices and farming schedules. Such adjustments require further effort and funding that aren’t at all times viable for farmers.
Mohan, one other native farmer, selected to not arrange an agrivoltaics plant on his farmland because of the excessive upfront value. He was uncertain about altering the crop and land use, and didn’t see a transparent incentive to vary one thing that was working properly. That is the place agriculture extension facilities or Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) can play a pivotal position.
For instance, the KVK at Ujwa village in Delhi has a pilot-scale demonstration unit that gives scientific proof to farmers on the advantages and sensible challenges of agrivoltaics.
In Amrol, Gujarat, Prof. Mevada’s staff from Anand Agricultural College has efficiently cultivated more than 30 varieties of crops, together with cereals, pulses and oilseeds, at their 1 MW plant. Efficient dissemination of findings, from current and upcoming pilot installations throughout totally different agroecological zones, can assist farmers make knowledgeable choices about adopting agrivoltaics.
Fashions like Issapur and the tales of its staff might be helpful for farmers and builders exploring agrivoltaics throughout the nation. Extra importantly, attaining a simply and equitable transition to low-carbon applied sciences requires devoted supportive insurance policies on shared land use for agriculture and photo voltaic PV.
At current, the one coverage framework guiding farmers in putting in photo voltaic vegetation on their agricultural land is the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan Yojana (PM KUSUM), that helps the solarization of rural and agricultural feeders. Small and marginal farmers who’re already in monetary misery would possibly get left behind throughout the scaling-up course of because of the excessive upfront funding and the mounted nature of the set up. Furthermore, agrivoltaics are appropriate just for sure land and crop sorts, thereby excluding landowners whose land and soil traits don’t align with these necessities. Thus, detailed and clearly outlined requirements and rules are wanted to incentivize small and marginal farmers and help them in adopting agrivoltaics at scale. These rules have to be knowledgeable not simply by learnings from entities like KVKs, educational establishments and photo voltaic builders, but additionally by insights from farmers and staff who’re instantly affected.
A people-centered method should account for the perceptions, preferences and priorities of key stakeholders, significantly farmers and native communities, who will want help to benefit from this transition. This help ought to embody the event of a various set of abilities to implement and keep agrivoltaic programs. Moreover, highlighting farmers’ experiences and incorporating their values and issues in challenge planning and regulation will probably be key to creating agrivoltaics in a simply and equitable method. Exploring monetary and benefit-sharing mechanisms, comparable to the potential of pooling land and sources for agrivoltaics, is one other manner to make sure the accessibility of agrivoltaics to farmers of all lessons and an equitable distribution of its advantages.
Agrivoltaics presents a possibility to optimize land use and reimagine the food-energy-water nexus. Nevertheless, its success lies not solely within the expertise however how it’s applied and the influence it may have on individuals who depend upon land-based livelihoods. By putting the wants of farmers and rural communities on the forefront, agrivoltaics holds the potential to advance India’s journey in direction of attaining each energy and food security, equitably.
The names of all the employees talked about within the photograph essay have been modified to make sure their anonymity. Vishwajeet Poojary is Senior Program Supervisor, Asar and a former Senior Program Affiliate, WRI India.
