Agri-Voltaics: Powering India’s Farms, Growing a Sustainable Future

Why in News?

Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, addressed the inaugural session of the three-day 7th AgriVoltaics World Conference at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. He highlighted the potential of integrating agriculture with solar energy to increase farmers’ incomes and enable them to become both annadatas (food providers) and urjadatas (energy providers).

About Agrivoltaics

Agrivoltaics, also known as agrisolar or dual-use solar, refers to the simultaneous use of the same land for agricultural activities and solar electricity generation.

In an agrivoltaic system, solar panels are installed above or between crop rows, allowing farming to continue beneath or around them.

Key features:

• Dual land use: Combines crop cultivation or livestock rearing with solar power generation.
• Elevated solar panels: Structures are designed to allow sunlight, rainfall and the movement of agricultural machinery beneath the panels.
• Crop protection: Partial shading can protect crops from extreme heat and reduce evaporation of soil moisture, depending on crop type and local conditions.
• Electricity generation: Solar power can support irrigation and other farm activities.
• Additional income: Farmers may earn revenue by supplying surplus electricity to the grid.

Status and Potential in India

• Operational projects: As of August 2025, India had 36 operational agrivoltaic projects with an installed capacity of 37.54 MW.
• Pilot projects: Another 10 pilot projects were under development.
• Estimated potential: Estimates place India’s agrivoltaic potential between 3,000 GW and nearly 14,000 GW.
• Reported area: According to Land Use Statistics for 2023–24, India’s reported area was 306.96 million hectares, of which approximately 55% was agricultural land.
• Net sown area: 138.99 million hectares.
• Gross cropped area: 217.88 million hectares.

Benefits of Agrivoltaics

• Improved land-use efficiency: Enables agricultural production and solar electricity generation on the same land.
• Higher and diversified farm income: Creates opportunities to earn from both agricultural produce and surplus electricity.
• Water conservation: Partial shading can reduce soil moisture loss and water requirements for certain crops.
• Reduced energy costs: Solar electricity can operate irrigation pumps and reduce dependence on conventional electricity or diesel-powered alternatives.
• Climate resilience: Properly designed systems may reduce crop exposure to extreme heat.
• Food and energy security: Supports agricultural production while expanding renewable energy generation.

Significance for India

Agrivoltaics offers an opportunity to utilise India’s extensive agricultural land for renewable energy generation without necessarily displacing farming. Its success will depend on suitable crop selection, panel height and spacing, local climate, water availability, and the economic viability of installations.

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