On the outskirts of Delhi, farmer Harpal Dagar holds up freshly harvested vegetables under a roof of solar panels. For the past five years, he has been farming under solar installations built by Delhi-based company Sun Master.
The deal changed his life. He still farms his land, but now also earns steady money from the solar company. Sun Master pays him about $1,200 per acre each year, plus a monthly salary for maintaining the panels. His income has tripled, and he no longer worries about losing crops to bad weather.
This method of using the same land for both farming and solar power is called agrivoltaics. It is gaining attention in India, where unpredictable monsoons often put farmers at risk. With panels raised 12 feet above the ground, crops can grow below while clean electricity is produced above.
But progress is slow. India has only around 40 agrivoltaic projects, compared with more than 500 in China. Experts say the big problems are the high cost of setting up tall panels, unclear contracts, and the fact that some crops can’t grow well in shade.
Still, companies like SunSeed are working to make it easier. They use software to test which crops work best and even take on the risk of crop failure themselves. In this, farmers can either continue growing crops on their own or hand over farming duties to the company.
Government officials say agrivoltaics has promise, but highlighted that long-term contracts and fair prices are the main reasons for success. Without proper safeguards, both farmers and solar developers could lose out.
Meanwhile, more farmers are experimenting. Anand Jain, who runs a 14-acre farm with solar panels in Madhya Pradesh, is testing strawberries and tomatoes under his 4.5 MW project. He admits small farmers cannot afford this model yet, but believes strong government support could make it a game-changer.
Experts agree that if farmers’ interests are protected and the right crops are chosen, India could soon lead the way in farming under solar panels.
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