Agrivoltaics in India: farming under solar panels

5 May 20251 min read

Why in the news

Experts say agrivoltaics can raise rural incomes and clean energy together, but India needs norms and incentives to scale it.

Raised panels (typically 2 m high) let crops grow beneath or between solar rows.
Proposed in 1981 by Adolf Goetzberger and Armin Zastrow.
Gains: land-use efficiency, climate resilience, extra income, cooler microclimate with less water loss and heat stress.

Nascent stage, mostly pilots.
A Najafgarh (Delhi) case study showed income rising over six times with shade-tolerant, high-value crops.
Cost barrier: 11% above conventional solar.

Feed-in tariff	Payback
₹3.04/unit (current)	15 years
₹4.52/unit (thermal average purchase cost)	4 years

Country	Rule
Japan	Temporary structures, 2 m panels, under 20% yield loss
Germany	66% reference yield, solar footprint at most 15% of arable land (DIN SPEC 91434)

Most farmers hold under 2 ha; FPOs and cooperatives like Sahyadri (250-kW APV) can pool land and capital.
Back them with NABARD credit guarantees, grants and training.
PM-KUSUM lacks APV provisions; modifying its grid-connected part could help.
Two pillars: farmer-centric rules and strong economic incentives.

1. How much more do agrivoltaic systems cost than conventional ground-mounted solar systems, as per the notes?

The notes say APV systems cost 11% more, about ₹2.7 crore per MW.

2. If the feed-in tariff for agrivoltaics matched the thermal average power purchase cost of ₹4.52/unit, payback would be about how long?

At the thermal-average-aligned tariff, payback drops from 15 years to just 4 years.

3. Which Indian scheme is described as lacking APV-specific provisions but suited to adaptation for dual-use solar?

PM-KUSUM, the flagship agri-solar scheme, lacks APV provisions; its grid-connected part could be modified.