Rajasthan farmer adopts agrivoltaics to grow maize under solar panels

Kojadmal Jat, a 60-year-old farmer in Kundanpura village near Jaipur, has become the first farmer in Rajasthan to own an agrivoltaics (APV) plant, generating 600 kW of electricity while growing maize under elevated solar panels. The pilot, spread across nearly 3 acres, feeds daytime irrigation power to about 250 farms. Jat's annual income has risen from around Rs 40,000 to about Rs 3 lakh under the model, which combines solar energy generation with crop cultivation.

The project, supported by researchers at ICRIER, aims to address the trade-off between food production and renewable energy. APV reduces heat stress and evaporation through partial shading, potentially benefiting arid regions. However, elevated mounting structures cost nearly Rs 35 lakh more than conventional installations, making adoption difficult for smallholder farmers. Jat, who was anguished at losing his farmland to solar panels, was delighted when researchers showed him he could do both.

The ICRIER team's April 2025 report, 'Solar as a Third Crop to Augment Farmers' Income', found that APV can increase annual returns by Rs 3-4 lakh per acre. Rajasthan was chosen for the pilot due to its high solar irradiation. The model aims to make farmers solar entrepreneurs, reducing dependence on a single income source and building resilience against climatic and market risks.