Presented by Neha Durga (IWMI) at the 7th World Water Forum in Daegu & Gyeongbuk in South Korea

1. Solar Power as Remunerative Crop
Neha Durga
International Water Management
Institute

2. Transforming
Energy-Water-Food Nexus
6 billion lt of diesel
Under irrigation-
Lower Productivity
130 GW –Installed
capacity of irrigation
15 Billion USD-
Commercial Losses of
Power Utilities
Solar Pumps will bring
the long awaited
green revolution in
eastern region
Solar Pumps will retire
grid power but will be
bad for aquifers
Solar Irrigation will transform
the nexus?

3. Solution : Grow Solar Power
• In grid connected region – selling surplus
power- opportunity cost to pumping.
• Relieve stress on drying aquifers without
affecting farmers economically – earnings
from selling Solar Power to the Grid.
• 100 GW of Solar Power Installed Capacity to
be achieved by 2020 as per new targets of
Government of India.
Opening doors for a virtuous
Water-Energy Nexus

4. Earnings for different Crops
Grains, Pulses
and Oil seeds
Fruits and
Vegetables
Solar Power
as Crop
1250 USD
84000 USD
No Seeds, Fertilizers,
Pesticides
Just Land- Farmers
own 50% of the land
4200 USD
Per Ha of Land

5. Solar
Panels
8 kWp
Grid Tie Inverter
7.5 HP
VFD
7.5 HP Pump
GRID
IRRIGATIONSPaRC Enabled
Free to 0.8
cents /kWh
FiT
8 cents /kWh
How to grow SPaRC?

6. Anand Pilot
7.5 HP SPaRC enabled pump Crops under the panels
Thank YouPhotos: Neha Durga / IWMI