A Shift to Solar Irrigation Pump-Sets: A Case Study from Uttar Pradesh, India

Renewable energy technologies are being actively encouraged in India by policies that promote public and private investment in renewable energy. New regulatory and fi nancial incentives to establish the use of renewable energy, especially in irrigation, have created the potential for a shift towards renewable sources in the sector. This paper analyses the differential nature of the impact and dynamics involved in shifting to solar pump-sets in two villages in Hardoi district, Uttar Pradesh, India. The short-term impact of a private solar mini-grid intervention is evaluated using a pre- and post-intervention evaluation of beneficiaries fi ciaries and non-beneficiaries fi ciaries across different socio-economic classes. The paper offers a comparative analysis of the irrigation costs associated with various fuels, alongside a comparison of annualised lifecycle cost (ALCC) across varying technological and regulatory configurations, fi gurations, demonstrating that energy-efficient fi cient electric pump-sets might still be cheaper than all configurations fi gurations of solar energy. The study found that grid-connected solar pumps are only viable when operated for less than 500 hours annually, while off-grid solar pumps are more costeffective at higher usage levels. The paper also outlines a framework for the implementation of a hypothetical scheme aimed at promoting solar irrigation among farmers with landholdings exceeding 6 acres. It provides estimates of the potential district-wide costs associated with such a scheme's ' s implementation and fi nds that implementing a shift to solar for farmers operating on less than 4 acres of land is economically unviable, since grid-based electricity is the least-cost option with respect to irrigation for this group at present. This study thus argues for designing schemes for the promotion of solar technologies that target beneficiaries fi ciaries based on the size of land holdings.