Beyond Irrigation: Harnessing the untapped potential of solar pumps

The report evaluates a pilot project by Oorja Development Solutions that integrated solar milling services with existing solar irrigation infrastructure in Uttar Pradesh. Findings indicate that while solar mills reduce costs and travel distances for households, sustained adoption is hindered by operational issues such as operator unavailability and inconsistent grinding quality. The study highlights positive shifts in women's mobility and autonomy due to the proximity of the mills, as well as dietary improvements from more frequent, small-batch processing. It recommends that Indian policy frameworks, specifically PM-KUSUM, be expanded to incentivize multi-use solar systems and gender-inclusive designs.

• The adoption of solar mills consolidated among core users over time; while overall usage decreased by 4 percentage points between the midline and endline surveys, the proportion of households using Oorja mills as their primary source rose from 19% to 26%.
• Operational and technical barriers, rather than cost, were the primary reasons for user drop-off, with the most cited issues being operator unavailability, delays, and concerns over flour quality such as coarseness or burning.
• Solar mills significantly improved physical accessibility, with primary Oorja users traveling an average of 0.57 km at endline, compared to 1.08 km for those using diesel or electric mills.
• Users of Oorja solar mills experienced lower milling costs than those using conventional mills; at endline, Oorja primary users paid an average of INR 1.9 per kg, while diesel/electric users paid INR 2.33 per kg.
• The proximity of solar mills within villages enabled a behavioral shift from bulk milling to smaller, more frequent batches, which reduced food spoilage and encouraged the processing of diverse crops like coriander, chili, and turmeric.
• While quantitative data showed that formal decision-making power remained largely with men (only 2% of women were primarily responsible for milling), qualitative evidence indicated increased autonomy and mobility for women, girls, and elderly women who could visit the mills independently.
• The provision of short-term credit and payment deferrals at solar mills served as a critical financial support mechanism for vulnerable households facing cash flow challenges.

APA

Agarwal, S., VM, H., Mani, S., Laan, T., & Saxena, A. (2026). Beyond Irrigation: Harnessing the untapped potential of solar pumps. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2026-02/beyond-irrigation-solar-pumps-india.pdf

Chicago

Agarwal, Sejal, Hridya VM, Sunil Mani, Tara Laan, and Abhinav Saxena. Beyond Irrigation: Harnessing the untapped potential of solar pumps. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2026. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2026-02/beyond-irrigation-solar-pumps-india.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Agarwal |first1=Sejal |last2=VM |first2=Hridya |last3=Mani |first3=Sunil |last4=Laan |first4=Tara |last5=Saxena |first5=Abhinav |title=Beyond Irrigation: Harnessing the untapped potential of solar pumps |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=February 2026 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2026-02/beyond-irrigation-solar-pumps-india.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{agarwal2026beyond, author = {Agarwal, Sejal and VM, Hridya and Mani, Sunil and Laan, Tara and Saxena, 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/system/files/2026-02/beyond-irrigation-solar-pumps-india.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }