Beyond Irrigation: Harnessing the untapped potential of solar pumps

This report evaluates a pilot project in Uttar Pradesh, India, that used the spare capacity of solar irrigation pumps (SIPs) to power village grain mills, identifying both the socio-economic benefits and the operational constraints of such secondary power uses.

• India possesses approximately 1 million standalone solar irrigation pumps, a significant portion of which remains idle during non-irrigation seasons, presenting an opportunity to address rural energy poverty through productive secondary uses.
• A pilot study in Uttar Pradesh demonstrated that using solar pumps to power grain mills reduced milling costs and travel times, while enabling more diverse and fresher milling and increasing independence for women, girls, and elders.
• The adoption of solar-powered milling faced operational hurdles, including issues with service quality, queuing, peripheral siting, and the availability of operators.
• To scale secondary-use models and maximize economic returns, the report suggests aligning policies with local needs, training women as operators, providing operator incentives, and implementing battery storage and simple retrofits.

APA

Saxenan,, S. A. V. M. L. (2026). Beyond Irrigation: Harnessing the untapped potential of solar pumps. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/beyond-irrigation-solar-pumps-india

Chicago

Saxenan,, Sejal Agarwal,Hridya Vijayan,Sunil Mani,Tara Laan,Abhinav. Beyond Irrigation: Harnessing the untapped potential of solar pumps. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2026. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/beyond-irrigation-solar-pumps-india.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Saxenan, |first1=Sejal Agarwal,Hridya Vijayan,Sunil Mani,Tara Laan,Abhinav |title=Beyond Irrigation: Harnessing the untapped potential of solar pumps |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=10 February 2026 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/beyond-irrigation-solar-pumps-india |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{saxenan2026beyond, author = {Saxenan,, Sejal Agarwal,Hridya Vijayan,Sunil Mani,Tara Laan,Abhinav}, title = {{Beyond Irrigation: Harnessing the untapped potential of solar pumps}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2026}, month = feb, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/beyond-irrigation-solar-pumps-india}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }