Key Terms & Concepts — UPSC Mains
Agri-Photovoltaic
"A dual land-use technology that integrates elevated solar panels with crop cultivation underneath to produce both electricity and food"
Agri-photovoltaic (AgriPV or agrivoltaic) systems combine solar energy generation with agricultural production on the same land. Solar panels are mounted at elevated heights (2.5-5 metres) on widely spaced structures, allowing crops to grow underneath with partial shading. This addresses the land competition between food production and renewable energy expansion, particularly critical in land-scarce countries like India.
Important for GS3 (energy, agriculture, environment) and Essay. Addresses the food-energy-land nexus — India needs both food security and 500 GW renewable energy by 2030.
- 1 Concept — solar panels elevated above crops, generating electricity while farming continues below
- 2 India's PM-KUSUM scheme — Component A supports decentralised solar on agricultural land (up to 2 MW capacity per plant)
- 3 Benefit — dual income for farmers (crop sales + electricity sales/net metering)
- 4 Crop suitability — shade-tolerant crops (vegetables, herbs, medicinal plants) perform well; some crops show improved yield due to reduced heat stress
- 5 India's renewable target — 500 GW non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030 (currently ~200 GW)
- 6 Land requirement — solar farms need 4-5 acres per MW; AgriPV reduces land diversion
- 7 Global leaders — Japan (first agrivoltaic system, 2004), France, Germany, South Korea
- 8 ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research) conducting trials at multiple locations
- 9 Challenges — high initial cost, structural engineering, crop-panel spacing optimisation
AgriPV systems in Rajasthan trials showed that shade-tolerant crops like cumin and coriander actually improved yields by 15-20% under partial shade, while the elevated panels generated 1 MW of clean energy per 5 acres.