Shahin Bepari Lambe
Panaji: A 250 kW agri-solar photovoltaic (APV) power plant will be set up at the Agriculture College in Ella at a cost of Rs 1.51 crore to generate clean energy while continuing farming activities and improving land use.
The project is being developed through a collaboration between the Indo-German Energy Programme and the Goa Energy Development Agency to demonstrate how solar power generation and crop cultivation can take place on the same land.
“The plant is expected to generate about 474.10 MWh of electricity annually. The electricity produced will first meet the requirements of the Agriculture College, and surplus power will be exported to the local grid under a net-metering system,” said a department official.
The project is planned with a 70:30 debt-to-equity ratio. The cost of energy is estimated at Rs 5.02 per unit. It is expected to deliver a return on equity of 14% over a 25-year period.
The agri-voltaics method will be used, where solar panels are mounted on raised structures. Around 3,330 sqm of land will be used for installing the solar panels and farming activities will continue below the panels. An official from the department said the system will benefit farmers as the shade from panels can reduce water loss from the soil and help regulate temperature, which may support crop growth during summer months. The approach allows simultaneous farming and energy generation, the official said.
The project will also function as a learning centre. Students and researchers at the Agriculture College will study crop growth under partial shade, water conservation and integration of energy systems with agriculture.
