Solar Irrigation for Agriculture Resilience in South Asia (SoLAR)

Project overview

Farmers increasingly rely on irrigation to counter rising temperature and rainfall variability. With 20.4 million pumps, the irrigation economy in Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan in South Asia is overwhelmingly dependent on groundwater. The intensity of groundwater extraction is influenced by access to subsidized electricity. Groundwater irrigation in the region accounts for up to 20% of total carbon emissions from agriculture.

The SoLAR project, funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), aims to promote a shift to solar irrigation pumps for climate resilient agriculture to reduce the carbon footprint of irrigation, coupled with incentives and policies for the sustainable management of groundwater in South Asia. Besides country efforts, the project will collaborate with the International Solar Alliance which has identified solar water pumps as one of its priority technologies.

The main goal of the project is to contribute to climate resilient, gender and socially inclusive agrarian livelihoods in Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan by supporting Government efforts to promote solar irrigation.

The International Water Management Institute leads the SoLAR project, with project activities being implemented in Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan in partnership with governments and renewable energy agencies.

The project works with government partners to answer the following questions:

• What are the impacts of solar irrigation on men and women farmers’ livelihoods?
• How can solar irrigation be promoted in ways that incentive efficient use of groundwater?
• Can capacity utilisation of these pumps be improved through grid connection?

Partners

• Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL), Bangladesh
• Gujarat Energy Research and Management Institute (GERMI), India
• Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC), Nepal
• Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), Nepal
• Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC), Pakistan
• Federal Water Management Cell (FWMC), Pakistan

Project highlights

Institutional models and financial viability

Institutional modalities for decarbonizing irrigation in Bangladesh: A 2022 study led by IWMI assessed various institutional models for promoting solar irrigation in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh has promoted multiple models for the diffusion of solar irrigation pumps (SIPs), ranging from the conventional subsidy-driven models of SIP ownership to the fee-for-service model that leverages private sector investments for expanding the outreach of irrigation services. The fee-for-service model promoted in Bangladesh by the Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL) is unique in the South-Asian context for bringing public-private partnership in SIP expansion. This model also offers useful lessons for the provision of affordable irrigation to smallholder farmers in the region.

The complexity of the agri-food system in Bangladesh, with small and fragmented landholdings, a large number of tenant farmers, diverse cropping patterns, and irrigation sources, requires multiple institutional models for scaling up SIPs in fair and inclusive ways. In this context, the co-existence of these diverse institutional and financial models is an important indicator of the potential scalability and appropriateness of SIPs under different conditions. Read more.

Sustainability of renewable energy investments through grid-connected solar pumps in Bangladesh: A 2022 analysis suggests that, with the right policy interventions and incentives, grid-connected solar irrigation pumps (SIPs) could become a sustainable solution for Bangladesh’s energy needs, supporting its renewable energy targets and agricultural sector.

The Bangladesh government aims to generate 10% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030. As of 2002, the Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL) had installed 1,523 off-grid SIPs with a capacity of 42.1 MW, primarily for the peak irrigation season of summer boro paddy. However, the financial viability of these investments is threatened by over-reliance on one crop and low off-season usage.

IDCOL’s SIPs face challenges such as the need for a high panel-to-pump ratio to meet peak irrigation demands, resulting in higher investments. Additionally, the seasonal demand for irrigation leads to underutilized panel capacity for most of the year. Grid-connected SIPs could address these challenges by allowing the evacuation of surplus energy into the national grid, thereby increasing revenue for SIP owners and contributing to the renewable energy mix.

The potential for grid-connected SIPs to generate additional revenue is significant, with estimates suggesting additional annual revenue of BDT 3,500-5,200 per kWp installed capacity. The cost of grid connection is relatively low compared to off-grid SIP investments, and with the right incentives, such as higher buyback rates from the Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (BREB), grid integration could become more attractive. Institutional interventions are needed to improve the economics of grid-integrated systems and options like net metering could increase the demand for SIPs. Read more.

Grid-connected solar irrigation in Nepal: IWMI led a pilot, the SoLAR-SA project, to explore the best techno-institutional model for grid-connected solar irrigation in Nepal.

In the Terai region, only 18% of irrigable land uses groundwater, with diesel pumps historically dominating the market. The Alternative Energy Promotion Centre offers a 60% subsidy for SIPs, which has increased their demand. However, off-grid SIPs cannot meet peak irrigation demand due to their small size and limited daily operation. The current subsidy budget is insufficient, highlighting the need for a sustainable business model that includes net metering revenue.

Grid-connected SIPs present a significant opportunity to increase energy efficiency and reduce costs. On the other hand, challenges include: unclear institutional leadership, high individual grid integration costs, and lack of clarity on net metering policies for agriculture meters. To scale grid-connected solar irrigation, specific policies for net metering and suitable typologies for Nepal must be explored. Read more.

Social inclusion

Improving equity outcomes in the solar irrigation subsidy delivery mechanism in Nepal: A 2022 study led by IWMI in Nepal assessed the country’s renewable energy policies and subsidy delivery mechanism in relation to solar irrigation, taking a look at equity considerations in particular.

Nepal has been promoting solar irrigation pumps (SIPs), with the Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC) providing a 60% subsidy to farmers. Data shows that between 2016 and 2021, 9100 farmers applied for solar pumps, while only 21% got it. The applicant pool tended to be relatively larger farmers, and male applicants. To increase the diversity of the applicant pool, it is suggested that local government institutions become more involved in soliciting applications from marginalized groups and that social mobilizers be used to reach out to underrepresented groups. It is also recommended that after-sales services be improved, and solar pump prices be periodically revised to increase demand from a wider range of farmers. Read more.

Impact on farmers and farmer response

Farmer responses to solar irrigation in India: A 2022 study led by WELL LABS used agent-based modelling to assess solar irrigation in India and its likely impact on farmers’ incomes and groundwater sustainability.

Solar irrigation is being promoted in India to address the twin problems of irrigation access and groundwater overexploitation. However, the potential impacts of this step are not fully understood. The study takes an in-depth look at six district-level case studies in Bathinda (Punjab), West Champaran (Bihar), Bengaluru Rural (Karnataka), Anand and Botad (Gujarat) and Nadia (West Bengal) to understand constraints farmers face in different agrarian contexts. 

The study suggests that sustainable transitions are physically possible, but deep lock-ins in agriculture and biophysical constraints limit changes. For solar irrigation to result in crop diversification and the cultivation of crops that fit in the water budgets of specific regions, sociotechnical evolutions need to occur concurrently. Changes in agricultural policies, such as the introduction of MSP for less water-intensive crops, and energy policies, such as the removal of electricity subsidies that allows farmers in states like Punjab free or highly subsidized access to the grid, can pave the way for truly impactful and long-lasting change stemming from the introduction of solar irrigation. Read more.

Pumping behaviour of solar irrigation farmers in Bangladesh and India: A 2022 study led by IWMI sought to evaluate the impact of SIPs on pumping behaviour of farmers and its subsequent effect on overall groundwater resources in Bangladesh and India.

In Bangladesh, the study was carried out in the intensively irrigated North-West region, where the government is promoting the fee-for-service model for solar irrigation. This model is creating a solar irrigation command area by setting up centralized sponsored SIPs. In India, the study was conducted in the state of Gujarat, where the grid-connected solar irrigation pump model has been implemented under the Suryashakti Kisan Yojana (SKY) scheme.

The analysis (currently under way) will involve comparing the groundwater abstraction behaviour of solar and non-solar farmers in India and Bangladesh. These results will provide valuable insights into the potential of solar irrigation to address the groundwater depletion challenge in India and Bangladesh. Read more.

A quick assessment of the chief minister’s Saur Krishi Vahini Yojana (MSKVY) in Maharashtra: This 2023 study led by IRMA assessed the progress made by the Maharashtra State Government’s MSKVY, its impacts on farmers and groundwater as well as potential and roadblocks. 

India’s rural electrification policy since independence has focused on energizing pump sets to provide irrigation for agriculture. The Maharashtra State Government’s MSKVY launched in June 2017 promotes tail end solar plants near substations.

The study finds that the scheme’s progress as well as private sector participation in it have so far been moderate. The scheme faces challenges due to increasing import duty and Goods and Services Tax on solar energy, and the cost escalation due to the COVID pandemic, making the prevailing power tariff unviable. Land availability is another bottleneck that the scheme needs to overcome. A farmer survey indicated a marginal increase in the use of pump sets (2.5%) and a handful of farmers changing their cropping pattern post-MSKVY. However it also found that less than 5% of the sample were aware about the scheme.

The study recommends accelerating the scheme through a lease mode of land procurement, raising the tariff, encouraging implementation through Efficiency Services Limited and rotation-based supply if the total agriculture load cannot be met. MSKVY also needs to be seen as an avenue to generate local jobs and help the local economy. Read more.

Mitigation and co-benefits

Mitigation and beyond: Multiple co-benefits of solar irrigation in Bangladesh: Based on a farmer survey in North-West Bangladesh, a 2022 study led by IWMI found that transitioning to solar-based irrigation provides various benefits to farmers, besides mitigating diesel-driven carbon emissions in agriculture.

Irrigation in Bangladesh depends primarily on imported diesel. The Government of Bangladesh has started investing in solar irrigation pumps (SIPs) to replace diesel pumps in off-grid areas. The objective is to achieve energy security and reduce agriculture’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Results from a representative survey of farmers in the command areas of the SIPs installed by the Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL) show that beyond effectively achieving the primary objective of reducing the use of diesel (mitigation), these pumps also provide other significant benefits to the farmers. The study found that these SIPs reduce farmers’ cost of irrigation by 20% to 30% compared to diesel irrigation pumps, offer them access to less labor-intensive, time-saving irrigation services, and support their needs for supplementary irrigation in case of delayed monsoons. Read more.

Solar IF Grantee

The SoLAR Innovation Fund (IF) has supported the development and testing of technical, financial and, institutional innovations to address the constraints and challenges of upscaling solar irrigation, with a special focus on the constraints faced by small, marginal, and women farmers in south Asian Region (specifically Bangladesh, Nepal, India and Pakistan). The IF has especially supported innovations and practices that can influence policy or be expanded and integrated into regular government programs and practices with the support of additional funding sources.

Since 2020, IF has supported seven innovative small action projects:

• Switch On: Mini Solar Pumps for Women Farmers or MSP4WF under IWMI-SDC SoLAR;
• URMUL: Solar Powered Hydroponic Fodder Station;
• CinI: Excess Energy Accumulation and Redistribution Network (EARN);
• KARMA: Mobile URJA- Scalable Solar Power with Innovations beyond Silicon Technology;
• MinErgy: Solar Water Mini Grid with Smart Analog Meter for Optimization of Solar Irrigation Pumps and its Widespread Adoption among Small Landholding Farmers of Nepal;
• Gham Power: Off Grid Bazaar – Scaling the Deployment of Solar Irrigation Systems Using Digital Platform & Personalized Agri-advisory for the Farmers;
• Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC): Livelihood Improvement of Dugwell Dependent Vulnerable Communities through Energy and Water Efficient Responsive Drip Irrigation Systems.

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