Agrivoltaics in India: can solar panels and crops share the same land?
Solar panels above, crops below. What Indian agrivoltaic pilots have learned so far — and why we're building one over blueberries.
Key takeaways
- Agrivoltaics means generating solar power and growing crops on the same land at the same time.
- A 2023 study of Indian pilots by IISD and CUTS International found yields did not fall, and in some cases rose, for leafy vegetables, millets and medicinal plants under panels.
- India's agrivoltaics is still at pilot scale; land-use rules, tariffs and business models are the main barriers.
- Shade-tolerant and heat-sensitive crops are the most promising candidates.
- Triton is developing an agrivoltaic blueberry greenhouse, which we believe is India's first.
The short answer
Agrivoltaics is the practice of producing solar electricity and crops on the same piece of land. Panels are mounted high enough — or spaced widely enough — for farming to continue underneath. In India it is still at pilot stage, but early results suggest that for the right crops, shade from panels does not reduce yields and can even help in hot, dry climates.
Why agrivoltaics matters for India
India needs land for both food and solar power. Ground-mounted solar parks take farmland out of production. Agrivoltaics offers a way to do both on the same acre — and partial shade can reduce heat stress and water loss for some crops during India's intense summers.
What have Indian pilots found?
Research installations such as the 105 kWp agrivoltaic system at ICAR-CAZRI in Jodhpur are among India's early pilots. A 2023 study by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and CUTS International, reported by pv magazine India, drew on the experience of Indian discoms, agricultural universities, solar developers and farmers. Its findings:
- Yields of leafy vegetables, millets and medicinal plants under shade showed no reduction, and in some cases an increase.
- Paddy and wheat had not yet been successfully trialled.
- Bifacial panels and sun-tracking showed promising results.
- Arid, semi-arid and peri-urban areas are likely the best locations.
What is holding it back?
The same study points to:
- Land-use and tax rules that treat land as either agricultural or industrial, not both.
- Tariffs: a single state ceiling tariff ignores the higher land value of peri-urban sites.
- Business models: ownership can sit with the farmer, the developer, or be shared — each with different risks.
- Limited crop evidence beyond a handful of crops.
Which crops suit agrivoltaics?
Crops that tolerate or benefit from partial shade and suffer in extreme heat are the strongest candidates — many leafy greens, some herbs, and several fruit crops grown under protection. Crops that need full sun for yield, such as most cereals, are harder.
Why we're building one over blueberries
Blueberries are a high-value crop that already needs protected cultivation in India and dislikes extreme heat. Combining a berry greenhouse with solar generation lets the same structure produce two revenue streams — fruit and power — and the panels can share the shading role. We are developing this project with an engineering partner and believe it will be India's first agrivoltaic blueberry greenhouse.
Read more about growing blueberries in India. Interested in partnering or building one? Get in touch.
Frequently asked questions
What is agrivoltaics?
Agrivoltaics is producing solar electricity and growing crops on the same land at the same time, with panels raised or spaced so farming can continue underneath.
Do crops grow well under solar panels in India?
Early Indian pilots reviewed in a 2023 IISD and CUTS International study found no reduction, and in some cases an increase, in yields of leafy vegetables, millets and medicinal plants under panels. Paddy and wheat had not yet been successfully trialled.
Is agrivoltaics commercially available in India?
It is still largely at pilot stage. Land-use rules, tariffs and business models are the main barriers to commercial scale.
Sources
Dhruv Khanna
NTU Singapore alumnus. Recognised by Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia (2019) and Forbes India 30 Under 30 (2020) for Triton's work on water-efficient hydroponics.
About Dhruv Khanna
