Agrisolar Best Practice Guidelines: India Edition

The India edition of the Agrisolar Best Practice Guidelines is the result of a collaborative effort by SolarPower Europe, the National Solar Energy Federation of India (NSEFI), and the Indian Agrivoltaics Alliance (IAA), with the support of the Indo-German Energy Forum (IGEF). Two Expert working group meetings were organised to unfold discussion and gather inputs from the partners as well as Indian and European solar industry professionals. 

These Guidelines have been tailored to India's unique context, starting from SolarPower Europe’s EU Agrisolar Best Practice Guidelines v2. In fact, along with the development of the solar industry both in Europe and India, the two actors face common challenges, such as strong competition for land, negative impacts of climate change, issues of food security, water management and biodiversity loss. Therefore, the Guidelines offer strategic insights into overcoming those challenges through Agri-PV, in accordance with the specific characteristics of the country. 

Boasting a significant 73.32 GW installed capacity, India stands at the forefront of the solar revolution. However, achieving the ambitious 280 GW solar target by 2030 necessitates a shift towards innovative solutions to tackle the issue of land use. The Guidelines emphasise the benefits of harmonising solar infrastructure with agricultural activities. 

The paper explores sustainability, concrete case studies, focus on EPC and O&M, as well as trends and innovation. This initiative marks a significant step towards achieving India's solar targets while fostering agricultural and economic growth.