Agri-voltaic system: crop production and photovoltaic-based electricity generation from a single land unit

Abstract

Agri-voltaic system is designed and
developed at Central Arid Zone
Research Institute, Jodhpur through
which electricity can be generated,
crops can be cultivated at interspace
area and rainwater can be harvested
from top surface of PV-module.
About 49% land area of a solar
PV-installation system can be used to
cultivate crops, which is otherwise left
as fallow. Few of the selected crops are
mungbean, mothbean, clusterbean,
isabgol, cumin, and chickpea. Apart
from these, medicinal plants e.g. Aloe
vera, sonamukhi, sankhpuspi etc. can
be grown. All these crops are generally
low height crops and require less
amount of water and thus are suitable
for AVS. Apart from crop production,
about 1,50,000 litre of rainwater on
one acre can be harvested. The stored
water can be used as supplemental
irrigation to crops during rabi. Annual
income from PV generated electricity
has been estimated as Rupees 7,00,000 per
acre, whereas cost involved for
installation of such system is Rupees
55,00,000 and thus the breakeven
period of the system is about 9-10
years.