SRINAGAR: Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K) is set to establish a 50-kW agrivoltaics research pilot at its Shalimar campus in collaboration with the Centre for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP), in a move aimed at testing how agricultural production and solar power generation can coexist on the same land in Kashmir.
The pilot will assess crop performance, solar energy generation, energy efficiency, farm economics and farmer adoption of agrivoltaic systems under Jammu and Kashmir’s distinct agro-climatic conditions.
The announcement was made by SKUAST-K Vice Chancellor Prof Nazir Ahmad Ganai at a workshop on “Building the Agrivoltaics Ecosystem in Jammu and Kashmir”, jointly organised by CSTEP and SKUAST-K.
The workshop, which comes ahead of the proposed PM-KUSUM 2.0 scheme, brought together policymakers, scientists, renewable-energy experts, financial institutions, industry representatives and farmers to discuss the potential for scaling up agrivoltaics across Jammu and Kashmir.
“This workshop is only the beginning of a long-term collaborative journey towards a resilient, climate-smart and energy-secure future for our farming communities,” Ganai said.
The proposed facility will function as a research, demonstration and innovation platform for dual land use, allowing agricultural crops and solar power to be produced simultaneously.
Researchers will examine cropping systems that can perform under solar panels, the amount of electricity that can be generated, the economics of such systems and models for farmer participation. The findings are expected to provide scientific evidence for future policy decisions and large-scale deployment of agrivoltaics in Jammu and Kashmir.
Agrivoltaics combines agricultural production with photovoltaic power generation on the same land. For Kashmir, proponents say the model could be particularly relevant because it can potentially integrate renewable-energy generation with horticulture and other high-value agricultural activities without taking productive farmland entirely out of cultivation.
Saptak Ghosh, Sector Head, Renewables and Energy Conservation at CSTEP, said Kashmir had remained relatively underserved in agricultural and energy innovation despite its importance in the hydropower sector.
He said agrivoltaics could provide an opportunity to combine Kashmir’s horticultural strengths with renewable-energy generation while keeping farmers connected to their land.
“Unlike conventional solar leasing models, our approach keeps farmers at the centre by enabling electricity generation alongside near-farm value creation,” Ghosh said.
He said CSTEP, in partnership with SKUAST-K and the National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE), intended to demonstrate the model directly to farmers and local communities.
The initiative is part of CSTEP’s work under the India Agrivoltaics Alliance (IAA), a multi-stakeholder platform that promotes agrivoltaic systems in India.
Under the partnership, CSTEP has been developing region-specific agrivoltaic models for Jammu and Kashmir, including systems designed around the region’s high-density apple orchards.
The proposed pilot could therefore provide an important test case for the application of agrivoltaics in Kashmir’s horticulture sector, where high-value crops and limited availability of suitable land make the economics of dual land use particularly significant.
Junaid Akhtar, Assistant Engineer (Solar) at Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL), said financial viability remained one of the key policy challenges.
He noted that while distribution companies generally procure solar power at competitive tariffs, the additional agricultural and rural-development benefits generated by agrivoltaic projects should also be recognised.
Akhtar suggested that viability gap funding could help bridge the financial gap and make agrivoltaic projects more commercially feasible.
Prof Javeed Ahmad Mugloo, Head of Krishi Vigyan Kendra Pulwama at SKUAST-K, said combining agrivoltaics with high-value crops and livestock rearing could create opportunities beyond electricity generation.
He said such integration could strengthen market linkages, promote value-added products and encourage new rural enterprises across Kashmir.
The workshop was attended by experts from NISE, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), CSIR-NIIST and the National Solar Energy Federation of India (NSEFI), besides representatives of government departments, financial institutions, industry and the farming community.
The SKUAST-K-CSTEP initiative comes at a time when the integration of renewable energy with agriculture is gaining attention as a potential way of addressing both energy and land-use challenges.
For Jammu and Kashmir, the research pilot is expected to generate locally relevant evidence on whether solar infrastructure can be integrated with farming systems without undermining agricultural productivity.
The university said the initiative reflects its continued focus on climate-smart agriculture, renewable energy research, and farmer-centric innovation, with the broader objective of strengthening both food and energy security in Jammu and Kashmir
