Division of Agricultural Economics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 110012, India
Online published on 13 December, 2019.
The National Solar Mission targets the generation of 100 gigawatt (GW) of energy through solar power by 2022. The southern and central states have performed well in solar capacity utilization, but they have not reached their potential. The capital cost of solar photovoltaic (PV) pumps per horsepower (HP) is eight times higher than that of diesel, but the operation and maintenance cost is significantly lower, and this lower cost makes solar-powered irrigation systems economically viable. The introduction of the grid-connected solar water pump scheme promises farmers economic gain as they receive income from selling their surplus energy to the grid. This will also add to the grid-connected solar power capacity.
