Farmers need financial support to generate surplus solar energy
Farmers will be encouraged to harvest more solar energy and supply to the grid too only if there is direct financial support from the Union Government, according to the pumpset manufacturers here.
A solar energy powered 5 HP agricultural pumpset costs over ₹ 3 lakh while a normal pumpset is just about ₹ 30,000. Currently, the subsidy for solar pumpsets is disbursed through the State Government and a few farmers have gone in for the solar-powered pumpsets, say the industry sources.
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said in his recent budget speech that the Central Government will take necessary measures to encourage State Governments to put in place mechanisms so that farmers can sell the surplus solar power to the distribution utilities.
“A farmer might install solar powered pumpset and on the days he is not using the pumpset, the solar energy panels will remain unutilised,” says vice-president of Southern India Engineering Manufacturers’ Association V. Karthik. The panels can be used to generate solar energy.
According to Jayakumar Ramdass, former president of the association, the solar pumpsets installed now are standalone units. Farmers need to install meters and connect the systems to the grid to sell the surplus solar power. All these are expensive and they need financial support. “The concept announced by the Finance Minister is good. But implementing it might have challenges,” he says.
In Coimbatore, which is a hub for pumpset manufacturing, solar pumpsets are sold by both, integrators and pump manufacturers. The sales of solar powered pumps peaked by the end of 2016-17.
If there are 18,000 agriculture power connections in the State, very few of these have solar powered pumpsets. The State Governments are implementing the Central Government’s subsidy scheme for solar pumpsets. In most places, the quality of the solar pumpsets is not to the mark. Farmers will not buy the solar pumpsets and supply the excess power without subsidy from the government, say the industry sources.
The industry sources say that the Government should involve them in discussions and take inputs on implementing the project so that the farmers benefit.
Source: thehindu
