Can farming and solar energy production truly coexist without conflict?
As India pushes for its ambitious renewable energy targets, agrivoltaics, combining agriculture with solar panels on the same land, is being hailed as a gamechanger. But what is the on-ground reality?
To explore this, Down To Earth traveled to ground zero: the Indra Solar Farm in Khargapur district and the Adarsh Jeevan Solar Farm in Sagar district, of Madhya Pradesh.
Our new film dives deep into whether this dual land-use model can actually bridge the gap between food and energy security, or if it brings hidden challenges to local communities.
While the technology looks promising on paper, major questions remain. Is this new technology genuinely feasible at scale in India? More importantly, who can actually afford it?
We bring in expert insights to dissect these critical issues. Priya Pillai from ASAR highlights the socio-economic impacts of land diversion, while Mrinali from Land Conflict Watch sheds light on the rising land conflicts driven by rapid renewable energy expansion.