A Shift to Solar Irrigation Pump-Sets: A Case Study from Uttar Pradesh, India

Juhi Chatterjee and Tejal Kanitkar

Review of Agrarian Studies, 2024, vol. 14, issue 01

Abstract: Renewable energy technologies are being actively encouraged in India by policies that promote public and private investment in renewable energy. New regulatory and financial incentives to establish the use of renewable energy, especially in irrigation, have created the potential for a shift towards renewable sources in the sector. This paper analyses the differential nature of the impact and dynamics involved in shifting to solar pump-sets in two villages in Hardoi district, Uttar Pradesh, India. The short-term impact of a private solar mini-grid intervention is evaluated using a pre- and post-intervention evaluation of beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries across different socio-economic classes. The paper offers a comparative analysis of the irrigation costs associated with various fuels, alongside a comparison of annualised lifecycle cost (ALCC) across varying technological and regulatory configurations, demonstrating that energy-efficient electric pump-sets might still be cheaper than all configurations of solar energy. The study found that grid-connected solar pumps are only viable when operated for less than 500 hours annually, while off-grid solar pumps are more costeffective at higher usage levels. The paper also outlines a framework for the implementation of a hypothetical scheme aimed at promoting solar irrigation among farmers with landholdings exceeding 6 acres. It provides estimates of the potential district-wide costs associated with such a scheme’s implementation and finds that implementing a shift to solar for farmers operating on less than 4 acres of land is economically unviable, since grid-based electricity is the least-cost option with respect to irrigation for this group at present. This study thus argues for designing schemes for the promotion of solar technologies that target beneficiaries based on the size of land holdings. Keywords: Renewable energy, solar irrigation, solar pump-sets, impact evaluation, irrigation, subsidies, policy, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Keywords: Agribusiness; Agricultural and Food Policy; Climate Change; Environmental Economics and Policy; Sustainability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ags:ragrar:347633

DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.347633

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