1.4 MW Agrivoltaics (AgriPV) with research by VNMKV India

In 2023 Agrilcultural University Parbhani VNMKV Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth had started a cooperation on AgriPV with GIZ India. VNMKV is responsible for the scientific research and related farm operations on the AgriPV site.
In October 2021, the GIZ (Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH) had successfully entered a private sector cooperation agreement with Sunseed APV and Kanoda (develoPPP project) with the aim of developing AgriPV pilot plants in India. The DeveloPPP funding program under the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) supports companies wanting to invest sustainably in developing and emerging countries.
The overarching goal of the project is to prove the economic and ecological benefits of AgriPV in India. This shall be achieved by gathering evidence and data on agriculture production under an agrivoltaic pilot system and quantifying the enhancement in photovoltaic production when co-located with agricultural production.
AgriPV offers a promising solution at the intersection of renewable energy, food and water security. It enables dual use of land through the generation of clean solar energy co-located with agricultural activities on the same piece of land. The shading from solar panels enables high-yield horticulture models that increase crop yield while conserving precious water resources. AgriPV contributes to four key UN sustainable development goals:
(1) Affordable & clean energy
(2) Climate action
(3) Sustainable communities
(4) Zero hunger.
Food and energy security are improved in an environmentally sustainable manner by efficiently using precious water resources (shading from Agrivoltaics and shade nets reduce the evapotranspiration from plants thus leading to water saving). The co-location of solar panels and commercial crops also appears to be a feasible solution in the Indian context; however, it has not yet been fully explored. Experiences in respective technical, economic, and agricultural viability are missing. As a result, there is a lack of awareness about the potential economic and ecological benefits of Agrivoltaics among different stakeholders in the ecosystem, including developers, government, public sector authorities, but also farmers and stakeholders from the agricultural sector (core problem).
For more information on AgriPV kindly visit: www.agrivoltai...