The village, as a result, became an example for energy minister, Saurabh Patel, who visited the village before launching SKY
While the state might have recently launched the Suryashakti Kisan Yojana (SKY) for farmers to generate solar power, nine farmers from Dhundi village of Kheda district have been practicing solar farming ever since they launched Dhundi Solar Energy Producers' Cooperative Society around two years ago.
The village, as a result, became an example for energy minister, Saurabh Patel, who visited the village before launching SKY. "The village had implemented the scheme almost two years ago. Before announcing the scheme, I visited the village to meet these farmers," said Patel.
In May 2016, nine farmers became solar entrepreneurs and launched DSEPCS, which transformed their lives. "We used to spend Rs 25,000 a year on the diesel-run pump to fetch water for farms. After installing the solar grid panels in the farms, we are earning Rs 65,000 a year through clean energy while also saving money," Pravin parmar, secretary of DSEPCS.
DSEPCS was a pilot project created as part of a field research by the International Water Management Institute (IWIM). IWIM has invested Rs 46 lakh on the project while farmers chipped in Rs 4.65 lakh to fund the installation of 56.4 kWp solar capacity. At present there are 18 such different capacity solar panels.
In early 2016, the farmers conducted a novel experiment to not only run their irrigation pumps but also to pool the surplus energy to sell to the Madhya Gujarat Vidyut Company (MGVCL) at Rs 4.63/unit under a 25-year power purchase agreement.
In addition, IWMI-Tata programme and CCAFS will offer Rs 1.25/ unit as Green Energy Bonus, and another Rs 1.25/ unit as Groundwater Conservation Bonus, taking the total payout per unit to Rs 7.13. By March 2018, the cooperative had already earned close to Rs 8 lakh from energy sales," said Shilp Verma, consulting researcher, IWMI.
"Only a week after the government launched SKY scheme, IWMI has received inquiries from 137 farmers to know more about the scheme. Our main purpose is that people use clean energy wisely. Solarising our groundwater economy will eliminate this huge carbon-footprint, reducing the carbon intensity of the country's economic growth," said Rahul Rathod, consultant, IWMI.
HOW THE SCHEME UNFOLDED
With six solar pumps of 56.4 kWp (kilo watt power) capacity each, they started running solar pumps in December 2015. Later, in April 2016, micro-grid was commissioned. The farmers have saved around 8,000 liters of diesel through solar pumps, and have avoided 21,000 kg of carbon dioxide emission and have earned renewable energy credits for 100,000 kWh.
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