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					</table><p>Assam Gas Company (<a href="https://assamgas.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AGCL</a>) has invited bids to select a consultant to conduct the feasibility study for a proposed agrivoltaic solar power project at Sadiya in the Tinsukia district and submit the pre-feasibility report and the detailed project report for the project.</p>
<p>The consultant must conduct a detailed study of the agricultural aspects as part of the project and recommend the best feasible option on agricultural aspects along with the financial analysis and the solar power capacity in the detailed project report.</p>
<p>The last date to submit the bids is July 17, 2023. Bids will be opened on the same day.</p>
<p>Bidders will have to submit ₹40,000 (~$487.76) as an earnest money deposit.</p>
<p>The successful bidder must furnish an amount equivalent to 10% of the contract value as a performance bank guarantee.</p>
<p>The time for the completion of the pre-feasibility report is two months, and another two months for the completion of the detailed project report.</p>
<p>To be eligible, bidders should have completed three similar works, each costing not less than ₹600,000 (~$7,316), or two similar works, each costing not less than ₹800,000 (~$9,755), or one similar work costing not less than ₹1 million (~$12,194) during the last seven years.</p>
<p>Also, the bidder should have executed similar works for solar power projects in India with a capacity of not less than 5 MW, out of which at least one project should be grid-interactive with more than 20 MW capacity during the last seven years.</p>
<p>If the work is not completed within the stipulated time, the agency will be liable to pay liquidated damages at 0.5% of the contract value per day of delay, subject to a maximum of 5% of the contract value for that individual phase of work.</p>
<p>AGCL will provide a purchase preference to micro and small enterprise (MSE) bidders. If the participating MSE quotes a price within the price band of L1 + 15%, they will be considered for the award of the contract by bringing down their price to the L1 price in a situation where the L1 price is from someone other than an MSE.</p>
<p>In March this year, the Assam Cabinet <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/assam-approves-620-mw-renewable-energy-projects" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gave</a> in-principle approval for setting up 620 MW of renewable energy projects under a joint venture between the Assam Power Generation Corporation and Oil India. The projects include three agrivoltaic projects with a cumulative capacity of 250 MW.</p>
<p>Earlier, the Assam Power Distribution Company had <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/assam-discom-procure-200-mw-solar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">invited</a> bids to procure 200 MW of power from solar projects to be developed in Assam.</p>
<p>Subscribe to Mercom&#8217;s <a href="https://mercomindia.com/product/india-solar-tender-tracker/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">India Solar Tender Tracker</a> to stay on top of the real-time tender activity.</p>


Assam Floats Consultancy Tender for a Proposed Agrivoltaic Solar Project


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					</table><p>A recent report published by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (<a href="https://www.iisd.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IISD</a>) has listed specific business models that would help India cope with the challenges of implementing agrivoltaics.</p>
<p>Firstly, IISD recommends <u><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/agrivoltaics-solve-land-scarcity-problem-solar-installations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">agrivoltaics</a></u> jointly owned by the farmer and developer, while the second way is agrivoltaics solely owned by either party, and the third model is where the developer is the primary promoter and the farmer is the partner.</p>
<p>India has a total of 14,636.6 kW of installed agrivoltaics capacity that is in the pilot stages.</p>
<p>The report highlights the challenges faced by the country’s farmers and developers in availing the benefits of agrivoltaics and suggests specific models be followed.</p>
<p>According to the experts interviewed by IISD, the third model, with the developer as the primary promoter and the farmer as the partner, is best suited to the Indian context. However, it can be considered only for barren or uncultivated areas, either due to poor land productivity or state ownership of the land.</p>
<p>About 53% of the total land area in India is categorized as arid or semi-arid, while most of India’s solar power capacity is installed in similar regions with low levels of cropping intensity, indicating complete or partial land uncultivability.</p>
<p>Arid and semi-arid regions, along with peri-urban areas, are the most favorable geographies for agrivoltaics in India.</p>
<p>However, the report says these locations have to be closer to cities and towns with proximity to markets for high-value horticultural products, for successful agrivoltaics implementation.</p>
<p><strong>Land-use &amp; Tariff Regulations</strong></p>
<p>The IISD report suggests that state governments introduce land-use regulations and classify the income from agricultural lands to recognize the full impact of agrivoltaics.</p>
<p>States must define clear standards for agrivoltaics to ensure project developers, governments, and lending institutions have a shared understanding of the criteria defining such projects.</p>
<p>Beyond the uniform ceiling tariff, the states must explore different market mechanisms to support agrivoltaics through creative tariff structures.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-54867 size-full" src="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Picture1-1.png" alt="" width="602" height="416" srcset="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Picture1-1.png 602w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Picture1-1-300x207.png 300w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Picture1-1-600x415.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 602px) 100vw, 602px" /></p>
<p><strong>Technology &amp; Other Factors</strong></p>
<p>The report finds that while technological innovations like sun-tracking systems yielded promising results in agrivoltaics in the countries like China, Japan, and Germany, such tools are not included in conventional solar plants in India, given their high cost.</p>
<p>The report recommends the use of bifacial solar panels in Indian agrivoltaic pilots as they help reduce shading effects, increase power generation, and expand crop choices that are currently limited to a few in the country.</p>
<p>IISD also points to some promising solutions, like integrating rainwater harvesting structures with agrivoltaics. However, scaling up these solutions would need further research and peer learning, given the weather conditions in India.</p>
<p>While battery storage is one of the options to store the energy for later use, not all farmers can afford it, so IISD suggests there should be an alternative to this technology</p>
<p>Most agrivoltaic pilots announced under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) program in India are yet to begin growing mainstream crops like paddy and wheat. Paddy, wheat, and sugarcane account for over 40% of India’s gross cropped area.</p>
<p>The length of such crops that are the staple food in the Indian context reaches a certain height, so it becomes critical to plan the solar PV placement in such a way that power and crop production are not hindered.</p>
<p>The report also recommends considering the open-access way through which developers can sell the power directly from agrivoltaic projects to consumers at a mutually decided price.</p>
<p><strong>Agrivoltaics in Industrialized Countries and India</strong></p>
<p>China has been actively encouraging agrivoltaics by promoting the technology through PV poverty alleviation and power generation front-runner base programs.</p>
<p>Germany, France, and Japan are constantly updating the designs and standards to use the land for accommodating solar PV with agriculture, given the fluctuating weather conditions.</p>
<p>Agrivoltaics is an emerging area of innovation that industrialized countries like China, Japan, and Germany are pursuing to use land parcels for growing crops using the power generated from solar photovoltaics.</p>
<p>The three countries combined have a cumulative installed agrivoltaics capacity of approximately 2.5 GW, while <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/italy-greenlights-agrivoltaic-projects" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Italy</a> and France have advanced investments to implement agrivoltaics.</p>
<p>IISD pointed out that in the above countries, it was realized that integrating agrivoltaics with closed farming systems like greenhouses and conventional open farming systems was beneficial, given the diverse design options that change per the agriculture activity and weather.</p>
<p>IISD recommends that grid-connected agrivoltaics systems are likely more scalable than off-grid systems because the power produced is typically much higher than the demand within the system.</p>
<p>But, grid-connected renewable energy also requires adequate evacuation capacity and needs to be situated near substations to reduce losses. This area is yet to be explored in Indian agrivoltaics.</p>


States Must Define Standards to Overcome Challenges in Agrivoltaic Projects: IISD


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					</table><p>Researchers at the <a href="https://www.modares.ac.ir/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tarbiat Modares University</a> in Iran have found that concentrator photovoltaics (CPV) helps in shading management while equally distributing the solar spectrum to balance energy and water levels in crops.</p>
<p>The work published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/applied-energy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Applied Energy</a> highlights that the balanced distribution of sunlight using CPV allows photovoltaic systems to generate sufficient amounts of electricity without affecting agricultural production.</p>
<p>They claimed that solar thermal collectors can be used to convert solar energy into heat, while photovoltaics can be used to convert solar radiation directly into electricity. The researchers used CPV and mitigated the issue of shading.</p>
<p>CPV is a clean technology that offers enhanced spectral processing capabilities and comes with highly concentrated power-generating efficiency, making the technology a suitable solution for integrating photosynthesis.</p>
<p>The researchers in the new work observed the working principles of CPV modules and studied their uses in concentrating <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/agrivoltaics-solve-land-scarcity-problem-solar-installations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">agrivoltaics</a>.</p>
<p>The researchers used parabolic glass covered with a multilayer dichroic polymer film that reflected near-infrared (NIR) radiation onto the solar cells installed at the focal area, which helped transmit photons in the range of photosynthetically active radiation.</p>
<p>The scientists then used Fresnel lenses, highly transparent sun-tracking louvers that help concentrate direct sunlight onto the solar cells to generate electricity.</p>
<p>While crops or plants do not require the complete solar spectrum to grow, combining photovoltaics to the process maintains the amount of energy and water level required for the growth.</p>
<p>However, the researchers stated that the development and use of CPV technology are slower due to relatability issues, high installation costs, lack of data and field expertise, and crucial inputs on maintenance and operating costs.</p>
<p>The team further claimed that developing photovoltaics for use in agriculture can further eliminate the dependence of farmers on fossil fuels and contribute to the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions globally.</p>
<p>In a similar study, material scientists at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/roof-organic-solar-cells-greenhouse" target="_blank" rel="noopener">designed</a> a solar roof with semi-transparent solar cells for a miniature greenhouse prototype. They found that the solar roof helped produce sufficient energy from sunlight to grow plants or crops.</p>
<p>A team of researchers from Cornell University <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/researchers-find-crops-improves-panel-efficiency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">found</a> that growing commercial crops on solar farms is an efficient use of agricultural land, which can boost both commercial food production and improve the performance and longevity of solar panels.</p>


Concentrated Photovoltaics Helps Crop Growth And Generate Electricity


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					</table><p>A team of material scientists at the <a href="https://samueli.ucla.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UCLA Samueli School of Engineering</a> in California designed a solar roof with semi-transparent solar cells for a miniature greenhouse prototype, producing sufficient energy from sunlight to grow plants or crops.</p>
<p>In the study published in the scientific journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/natsustain/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nature Sustainability</a>, the experts incorporated a layer of naturally occurring chemical L-glutathione in the solar cells, which is generally sold as a dietary supplement.</p>
<p>They observed that the addition of the chemical extended the lifetime of solar cells and enhanced the efficiency while allowing sufficient transparency in the solar roof for the sunlight to reach the plants inside the miniature greenhouse which was the size of a dollhouse.</p>
<p>The scientists said that the focus of their work is <a href="https://mercomindia.com/agrivoltaics-solve-land-scarcity-problem-solar-installations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">agrivoltaics</a>, which focuses on the simultaneous use of land for both solar power generation and agriculture.</p>
<p>Yepin Zhao, the lead author of the research, said, “We didn’t expect the organic solar cells to outperform a conventional glass-roof greenhouse. But we repeated the experiments multiple times with the same results and after further research and analysis, we discovered that plants don’t need as much sunlight to grow as we’d originally thought. In fact, too much sun exposure can do more harm than good, especially in climates such as California’s, where sunlight is more abundant.”</p>
<p>The scientists built the miniature to replace the glass panels in the greenhouse with solar panels. The solar cells developed by the UCLA team rely upon carbon-based materials, as opposed to the inorganic substances used in conventional devices.</p>
<p>Organic solar cells tend to degrade faster than their inorganic counterparts because sunlight can cause organic materials to oxidize and thus lose electrons.</p>
<p>The scientists discovered that the additional layer of L-glutathione prevented the other materials in the solar cell from oxidizing.</p>
<p>The solar roof achieved a power conversion efficiency of 13.5% and an average visible transmittance of 21.5%, with operational stability of 84.8% retention after being exposed to 1,008 hours of continuous illumination— as opposed to less than 20% without the added layer.</p>
<p>They observed the growth of common crops including wheat, mung beans, and broccoli in two separate experiments. One had a transparent glass roof with segments of inorganic solar cells, and the other had a roof made entirely from semi-transparent organic solar cells.</p>
<p>The crops in the greenhouse with the organic solar roof grew more than the crops in a regular greenhouse.</p>
<p>The scientists believe this is because the L-glutathione layer blocked ultraviolet rays, which can inhibit plant growth, and infrared rays, which can cause greenhouses to overheat and plants inside to require more water.</p>
<p>Experts from the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory said in another <a href="https://mercomindia.com/more-space-between-solar-panel-rows-help-lower-module-temperatures/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a> that distancing rows of solar panels apart could help maintain the module temperature, which usually increases when modules are exposed to sunlight for longer duration. They said that their research is particularly relevant to the growing field of agrivoltaics, wherein crops are placed adjacent to or below solar panels.</p>


Researchers Develop Roof with Organic Solar Cells for Greenhouse


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					</table><p>Distancing rows of solar panels apart can help maintain the module temperature, which usually increases when solar modules are exposed to direct sun for a long time leading to a decrease in module efficiency, a new study by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (<a href="https://www.nrel.gov/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NREL</a>) has revealed.</p>
<p>Irradiance is the primary driver of module temperature, but it also results in an average drop of around 0.3%-0.5% in a module&#8217;s maximum power output.</p>
<p>Gutters between the panel rows create paths for the wind to flow so the excess heat in the modules due to prolonged exposure to the sun can be reduced, ultimately improving module performance with convective cooling efficiency.</p>
<p>The amount of ground-reflected irradiance on a solar module increases when the panels are distanced. The gutters also help decrease the incidence of modules casting shade on each other.</p>
<p>The study &#8211; &#8216;Technoeconomic Analysis of Changing PV Array Connective Cooling Through Changing Array Spacing&#8217; is published in the <u><a href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/Xplore/home.jsp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IEEE</a></u> Journal of Photovoltaics.</p>
<p>The analysis, which relied on NREL&#8217;s <a href="https://sam.nrel.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">System Advisor Model</a>, demonstrated that a greater separation between rows would improve the performance of a PV system by allowing airflow to cool down the solar modules.</p>
<p>NREL researcher and lead author of the study, Matthew Prilliman, observed, &#8220;When you look at the layout of the system, like how the modules are spaced apart, what angle they&#8217;re at, how high they&#8217;re off the ground—that all affects airflow.&#8221;</p>
<p>He said few previously used computer models considered the changes in heat transfer caused by differences in how an array is configured.</p>
<p>However, the researchers found that a greater separation of rows carries additional costs. Notably, more land is needed as the arrays are spaced out more. In addition, wiring costs increase as the arrays are more spread out. Crucially, the researchers determined the benefits outweigh the costs in many cases.</p>
<p>The research could be particularly relevant for the growing field of agrivoltaics, in which crops are planted adjacent to or below solar panels. The changing land usage for different layouts would affect the placement of crops, which could, in turn, also affect wind flow.</p>
<p>Lead author of another NREL research focussed on agrivoltaics, Jordan Macknick, said, &#8220;Increasing spacing could enable more varieties of crops and more types of agricultural equipment to be utilized in agrivoltaic systems. That could potentially make these spaced-out solar systems more cost-effective and compatible with larger-scale agriculture.&#8221;</p>
<p>In India, agrivoltaics have slowly been <a href="https://mercomindia.com/agrivoltaics-solve-land-scarcity-problem-solar-installations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gaining</a> ground as they help solve the rising need for land to ensure both food and energy security. Several entrepreneurs are giving agrivoltaics a shot.</p>


More Space Between Solar Panel Rows Help Lower Module Temperatures: NREL


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					</table><p>In India, agriculture plays a critical role in the economy, with nearly 60% of its land under farming and almost 300 days of sunshine every year. The country has an excellent opportunity to emerge as a global leader in agrivoltaics.</p>
<p>Agrivoltaics is the simultaneous use of land for both solar power generation and agriculture.</p>
<p>In India, conversations have just started on adopting agrivoltaics to solve the rising need for land to ensure both food and energy security.</p>
<p>The inter-disciplinary nature of this business proposition is making adopting agrivoltaics a global challenge. Despite the challenges, several entrepreneurs are giving it a shot.</p>
<p>Shravan Sampath is one such entrepreneur in Delhi who has set up a 110 kW capacity agrivoltaics project in a fruit orchard and is in the process of setting up another project of similar size now.</p>
<p>His insights capture the challenges in a nutshell. “The elevated structure for agrivoltaics requires steel. Steel prices will keep the cost of agrivoltaics high,” Shravan told Mercom. “Another factor is that entrepreneurs like me are asked to set up solar installation and leave the farming to others. That is not pragmatic. Both have to be done by a single stakeholder.”</p>
<p>The total number of documented agrivoltaics projects across the country is still in double digits and may cross the 100-mark next year. A <a href="https://ieefa.org/resources/agrivoltaics-india-fertile-ground" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> on Agrivoltaics in India published by Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis points in this direction.</p>
<p>The agrivoltaics project implemented by the Central Arid Zone Research Institute (<a href="http://www.cazri.res.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CAZRI</a>) in Sitapur town in Rajasthan is a pilot for many arid regions. Rishi Singh, one of the farmers who benefited from agrivoltaics in Sitapur, says, “This is a Godsend. I got a good wheat harvest after a long time because of the agrivoltaics method.”</p>
<p>In a land where crops were devastated by high temperatures, the photovoltaic solar panels have given the much-needed shade and saved the crops. “Arid regions across India will benefit from agrivoltaics. It is a win-win for the farmers and the government. CAZRI has demonstrated it through pilot projects,” says an official of CAZRI.</p>
<p>In an agrivoltaics project maintained by the Gujarat State Electricity Company Limited (GSECL) in the Jamnagar district of the state for the last three years, several crops, including ladyfinger (okra), bottle gourd, coriander, and cluster beans, were cultivated successfully during summer. And tomato, cucumber, zucchini, and chilies were cultivated during winter.</p>
<p>Cables were laid at a depth that doesn’t restrict regular field plowing in this plant. The 1 MW power generated by this plant is sold to the Gujarat power distribution company (Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam) through a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA).</p>
<p>Vikash Sharma, an entrepreneur in Himachal Pradesh, is running a 250 kW solar power project in a 2.2-acre field. He has no regrets as he enters the fourth year of operations. “Garlic, onion, pepper, and brinjal were cultivated. The return on investment (RoI) is in the range of 8 to 10%,” he told Mercom. According to him, a good working relationship with farmers is a prerequisite for solar entrepreneurs to make these projects viable. He is optimistic about the future of agrivoltaics in India.</p>
<p>In the 105 kW agrivoltaics plant developed by CAZRI in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, electricity generation yields more money than agriculture. Mungbean, moth bean, cluster bean, isabgol, cumin, chickpea, aloe vera, sonamukhi, sankhpuspi, chili, cabbage, onion, and garlic were cultivated in this field. CAZRI officials said that they would eventually make it viable by consistent action on the ground.</p>
<p>The 1 MW agrivoltaics system at the Mahindra Susten plant in Telangana yields 60 to 70 liters of lemongrass crude oil from the one-acre cultivated area. Annatto dye, brinjal, lady finger, green chili, and onions were also cultivated here.</p>
<p>Mahindra Susten officials say the panels were mounted sufficiently high to allow the crops planted below to receive as much sunshine as they would if the panels were not there. They express confidence that this system could be a role model.</p>
<p>“Land is a limited resource, and solar capacity addition in India requires large tracts of land. As we have land ceiling acts in place in several states, the only path forward is the double usage of land for agriculture and solar power generation. That is where agrivoltaics acquires importance,” says Shravan Sampath.</p>
<p>Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis says that agrivoltaic installed capacity has grown from about 5 MW in 2012 to approximately 2.9 GW in 2021 across the globe. Per IEEFA, India’s renewable energy and food security needs have made agrivoltaics a practical option in the long run.</p>
<p>The momentum has just begun for agrivoltaics in India. The lessons acquired in the pilot projects across India will go a long way in implementing future projects. Viability gap funding with a relevant policy framework and banking infrastructure in the initial years would accelerate the growth of agrivoltaics.</p>
<p>“The Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy should come together and derive a policy framework to incentivize agrivoltaics,” Akhilesh Kumar, an expert in agriculture and adviser to many government agencies, said. “The data from the existing agrivoltaics projects across India should be compiled and made accessible to the farmers and the solar entrepreneurs.”</p>
<p>According to him, the bright side in this long journey of agrivoltaics is the coming together of farmers and solar energy entrepreneurs. He suggests a transparent conversation on the existing data from different regions and the support to be extended by the governments.</p>
<p>Experts point out that in the long run, the Prime Minister’s KUSUM (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan) project’s success could augur well for agrivoltaics. “KUSUM has solarization of agriculture pumps as the third component. If it catches up, it will gradually lead to a favorable mindset for adopting agrivoltaics,” says a government agricultural official in Gujarat.</p>
<p>Officials across India who spoke to Mercom admit to the fear in the farming sector about the possible loss of subsidized electricity in case they accelerate the solarization of agricultural infrastructure. “The fear element should be addressed by consistent communication with the stakeholders,” says Akhilesh Kumar.</p>
<p>Shravan Sampath feels that solar energy entrepreneurs may find it challenging to work with farmers in the initial years. “The solar energy entrepreneurs may expand their bandwidth to understand and practice agriculture over time,” he says. The existing conflict or tension between farmers and solar energy entrepreneurs may take years to resolve. “It is the sentiment of ownership that comes in the way of solarization reforms. With real-time, long-term benefits data, agrivoltaics can be sold to Indian farmers,” says a confident Kumar.</p>


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