As India progresses on its target to create 500 GW of renewable energy (RE) generation capacity by 2030, solar power is expected to make a significant contribution. However, with a land requirement of 3.5 acres/ MW, solar is expected to compete with agriculture for land resources.
However, various initiatives are underway to turn this potential competition into a symbiotic partnership that would not only help India achieve its renewable energy targets but also help increase farm incomes.
Agrivoltaics: A symbiotic ‘cooling’ relationship
Agrivoltaics is the use of land for both agriculture and solar photovoltaic energy generation. It’s also sometimes referred to as agrisolar, dual use solar, low impact solar. Solar grazing is a variation where livestock graze in and around solar panels. This system looks at agriculture and solar energy production as compliments to the other....
