Sowing the seeds of a solar power intervention
The article explores Agrophotovoltaics (AgriPV), a practice combining agriculture and solar power generation on the same land, through a farmer-led pilot project in Rajasthan. It highlights benefits such as diversified farm income, reduced heat stress for crops, and water savings. However, it critically examines significant challenges to wider adoption, including high upfront capital costs, policy and regulatory hurdles, financing issues, weak rural grid capacity, and the lack of clear standards and a supportive ecosystem. The article discusses government initiatives like PM-KUSUM and offers recommendations for scaling AgriPV, involving institutions like ICRIER, NABARD, and MNRE.
The article explores Agrophotovoltaics (AgriPV), a practice combining agriculture and solar power generation on the same land, through a farmer-led pilot project in Rajasthan. It highlights benefits such as diversified farm income, reduced heat stress for crops, and water savings. However, it critically examines significant challenges to wider adoption, including high upfront capital costs, policy and regulatory hurdles, financing issues, weak rural grid capacity, and the lack of clear standards and a supportive ecosystem. The article discusses government initiatives like PM-KUSUM and offers recommendations for scaling AgriPV, involving institutions like ICRIER, NABARD, and MNRE.
Exam linkage
GS Paper 3: Indian Economy (mobilization of resources, growth, development), Agriculture (major crops, cropping patterns, irrigation, farm subsidies, technology missions, economics of animal-rearing), Environment & Ecology (conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, renewable energy). GS Paper 2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation; Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population.
Syllabus mapping
This topic appears in Mains
Questions on Agriculture come up regularly in GS papers. Practice writing an answer — and see exactly what earns marks.
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