Telangana: Pilot project on Agri Photovoltaic System gets under way

The technology allows farmers to generate electricity and grow cash crops simultaneously on the same piece of land

Hyderabad: The Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agriculture University (PJTSAU), in association with a Bengaluru-based solar startup, has taken up a pilot study on ‘Agri Photovoltaic System’ — the simultaneous use of land area for both solar photovoltaic power generation and agriculture — at its Ag-Hub-Agri Innovation Hub.

The technology allows farmers to generate electricity and grow cash crops simultaneously on the same piece of land, thereby increasing their income.

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Under the pilot project, a 10-KW solar panel has been set up in 10 guntas at the university campus, where crops such as carrot, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and groundnuts are being grown.

According to the Director of Water Technology Centre, PJTSAU, Dr Avil Kumar Kodari, the Agri Photovoltaic System provides an effective and innovative solution for land use through the creation of synergies between renewable energies and agriculture.

The pilot project was started last November and, so far, the results are very encouraging, he said, adding that through solar panels, about 4,215.07 units of power have been generated so far. He said shade-tolerant crops have to be grown underneath the panels for better results.

In normal circumstances, solar panels are installed in large swathes of land and they cannot be used for farming. But under the Agri Photovoltaic System, crops can be easily grown under the panels, he said.

The solar panels have been placed in such a way that the shade of one unit does not fall on the other, he said. In fact, the cultivation of crops underneath the solar panels can have a cooling effect on the panel due to evapotranspiration, which helps in improving the efficiency of solar panels, Kodari claimed.

“The Agri Photovoltaic System gives farmers the opportunity to explore growing food while also producing clean electricity on the same piece of land. Farmers can grow crops in Vanakalam and Yasangi, and simultaneously adopt the Agri Photovoltaic System. This model will enable agriculture and sustainable energy to coexist and generate extra income for farmers,” he said.