Implementing Solar Irrigation Sustainably: A guidebook for state policy-makers on implementing decentralized solar power plants through PM-KUSUM Components A and C (feeder-level solarization) with maximum social, economic, and environmental benefits

The document outlines strategies for implementing decentralized solar power plants in India's agriculture sector via the PM-KUSUM scheme. It addresses the distinct objectives of Component A (farmer income) and Component C (feeder-level solarization), while analyzing the water-energy-food nexus to prevent groundwater depletion. Key recommendations include reducing investment risks through 'deemed generation clauses', utilizing 'land banks' to facilitate developer-landowner interactions, and refining tariff calculations to reflect the higher O&M costs of small-scale plants. The guide also highlights the 'Paani Bachao Paisa Kamao' (PBPK) scheme in Punjab as a model for using direct cash incentives to encourage water conservation and discusses the potential of agrivoltaics to balance food and energy production.

• PM-KUSUM Component A focuses on enabling farmers to earn additional income by setting up decentralized solar power plants on their land, while Component C (Feeder-Level Solarization) aims to solarize agriculture feeders to provide daytime power and reduce state subsidies.
• Decentralized solar plants can improve the quality of power supply by providing voltage support to target feeders, potentially reducing pump burnouts, and can provide up to 10 hours of daytime power to reduce the hazards of nighttime irrigation.
• Financing is the primary obstacle to the scheme's success, as developers perceive risks—such as poor grid infrastructure and payment defaults by DISCOMs—as outweighing potential returns.
• To mitigate investment risks, states can implement 'deemed generation clauses' in power purchase agreements to guarantee minimum grid availability (e.g., 95-98%) and use 'land banks' to simplify the process of identifying and leasing suitable land.
• Tariffs for decentralized plants are often unviable because they fail to account for higher per-MW operation and maintenance (O&M) costs, higher capital costs due to lack of economies of scale, and significant logistical overheads compared to utility-scale plants.
• Increased energy access may lead to groundwater depletion if water is the primary constraint to crop production and hydrogeology is suitable (e.g., 'bathtub' aquifers), as seen in Karnataka's Surya Raita project where water consumption increased 1.77 times.
• The 'Paani Bachao Paisa Kamao' (PBPK) scheme in Punjab demonstrated that combining daytime electricity with direct cash incentives for using less than a predetermined electricity quota can reduce self-reported irrigation hours by 7.5% to 30% without affecting paddy yields.
• Agrivoltaics, the simultaneous use of land for agriculture and solar power, can mitigate the conflict between food and energy land use, but requires new business models and standards for crop selection based on shading characteristics.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (2023). Implementing Solar Irrigation Sustainably: A guidebook for state policy-makers on implementing decentralized solar power plants through PM-KUSUM Components A and C (feeder-level solarization) with maximum social, economic, and environmental benefits. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-05/implementing-solar-irrigation-sustainably.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. Implementing Solar Irrigation Sustainably: A guidebook for state policy-makers on implementing decentralized solar power plants through PM-KUSUM Components A and C (feeder-level solarization) with maximum social, economic, and environmental benefits. 2023. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-05/implementing-solar-irrigation-sustainably.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=Implementing Solar Irrigation Sustainably: A guidebook for state policy-makers on implementing decentralized solar power plants through PM-KUSUM Components A and C (feeder-level solarization) with maximum social, economic, and environmental benefits |date=2023 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-05/implementing-solar-irrigation-sustainably.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopment2023implementing, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{Implementing Solar Irrigation Sustainably: A guidebook for state policy-makers on implementing decentralized solar power plants through PM-KUSUM Components A and C (feeder-level solarization) with maximum social, economic, and environmental benefits}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2023}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-05/implementing-solar-irrigation-sustainably.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }