The Indo-German Energy Forum (IGEF-SO), in collaboration with the National Solar Energy Federation of India (NSEFI), India Agrivoltaics Alliance (IAA) and Solar Power Europe (SPE), launched the “Agrisolar Best Practice Guidelines – India edition” on 22 February in Gandhinagar.

The event commenced with a welcome speech from Mr. Tobias Winter, Director, IGEF-SO, discussing the current and future landscape of Agrivoltaics in India. Mr. Suhas Sathyakiran from the India Agrivoltaics Alliance and Ms. Lina Dubina from Solar Power Europe then provided insights into the guidelines, tailored specifically to address India's unique challenges and opportunities.

These guidelines, an extension of Solar Power Europe's original framework, signify a significant milestone in integrating solar energy with agriculture in India, driving innovation and sustainability in the energy sector.

A panel discussion, moderated by Mr. Shubhang Parekh from NSEFI, featured industry experts including Mr. Vivek Saraf from SunSeed APV, Mr. Gulabsingh Girase from GroSolar, Mr. Suhail Shaikh from Voltaics Alpha, Ms. Lina Dubina from Solar Power Europe, and Ms. Alyssa Pek from the Global Solar Council. The panellists covered topics ranging from climate change impacts on Indian agriculture to best practices in Engineering, Procurement, Construction (EPC) and Operations & Maintenance (O&M) of Agrivoltaics.

Mr. Prasoon Anand from NSEFI concluded the event, commending all stakeholders for their collaboration and the successful launch. These guidelines act as a roadmap for harnessing the synergy between solar energy and agriculture, unlocking new opportunities for farmers, businesses, and the environment. The event emphasised the importance of collaboration and knowledge exchange, making a step towards India's renewable energy transition.