Indian Farmers to benefit from Solar energy

In another major initiative announced by the Modi Government in India, the Indian farmers are set to leverage from the solar power in a way to double their revenues. The central government has not only set a target to install 100 GW of solar power, but also doubling the farmers’ income by 2022. This would entail an annual growth rate of 12% between now and 2022.

The Indian farmers depend on rains for a healthy agricultural produce. Much of their efforts are fruitless, if there are no rains and the crops are destroyed. Solar power could be used by the Indian farmers to increase their income. The farmers could put up solar panels over their crops, at a height that they receive enough sunlight for photosynthesis and growth. The farmers could thus use the power from these panels for irrigation purposes, thus shunning the usage of expensive diesel generators. With the cost of solar falling, the farmers could reach breakeven in a few years’ time. Today solar power ranks high amongst other competitive sources of energy.

Most of India, especially in the rural areas still lives in darkness. Not only is diesel expensive in India, but the electricity rates are high too and also unreliable. Though India is turning power surplus, there exists a problem of poor transmission throughout the country majorly in the remote parts of the country. The money thus saved could be used for better fertilisers to improve the field’s productivity. Any extra power produced by the framer can also be supplied/ sold to the grid.

Also read Solar Power comes to the humble Auto Rickshaw Pullers in India.

The Modi government has come a long way in achieving and implementing various strategic policies benefitting the country. If the policies and targets could be achievable yet again, if properly implemented and executed in a timely manner. The government needs to implement guaranteed feed in tariffs for solar energy produced in these rural areas, and the price paid for such solar power should also be higher when compared to power generated through coal.

I think it could be a major breakthrough achieved in the rural areas and could also lead to overall development in these areas, solving the power problems of the country. Solar power generation already exists in countries like Japan, China and the UK. The government is already easing the usage of solar power in India with a target to achieve a gargantuan 100 GW by 2022. All these means would work towards achieving this target and solve the power problems in India.