RenewX: Business Opportunities for Agrivoltaics in India

From November 19-20, 2021, the hybrid RenewX Expo in Hyderabad provided a dedicated platform for companies looking to enter the lucrative South Indian renewable energy market and brought together renewable energy industry professionals in the region aiming to set a growth agenda for the future.

Together with the National Solar Energy Federation of India (NSEFI), IGEF-SO organized an on-site event titled "Business Opportunities for Agrivoltaics in India" on Saturday, November 20. The session brought together international and national experts for a discussion about the latest developments in AgriPV in India and Europe and to offer further insight into the promising market segment. The event was opened by Ms. Theresa Jocham from the Indo-German Energy Forum – Support Office. Additional opening remarks were made by Dr. Nicole Glanemann, Deputy Head at the German Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi). Dr. Glanemann spoke about the difference of AgriPV compared to regular rooftop PV and solar pumps and how the integration of the two technologies can be beneficial. She further elaborated on the current state of AgriPVin India and related projects. The first expert presenting his viewpoint on the topic from an installer’s perspective was Ms. Laxmi Santhanam. She addressed key issues encountered in the installing segment and evaluated key challenges and possible solutions in the domain. Secondly, Mr. G.S.V Prasad from Telangana State Renewable Energy Development Corporation Ltd. (TSREDCO) shared his experience from a Discom perspective. Mr. Prasad talked about the expected challenges with respect to tariff and incentives, as well as about future plans. Thereafter, Mr. Maximilian Vorast from Fraunhofer ISE held a presentation about experiences, developments and innovations in the field of AgriPV in Germany and Europe. In particular, the expert laid focus on how to improve Agrivoltaics and building a strong, international AgriPV community. From a rather technical stance, Mr. Vivek Saraf from SunSeed APV covered all the technical details and modern technological advances in AgriPV. In his talk, Mr. Saraf also examined how to make these technologies bankable.

The session received a widely positive response from both audience and speakers. After the expert’s presentations, the audience members engaged in bilateral talks with the panellists.

All speakers of the event

All speakers of the event

Ms. Laxmi Santhanam

Ms. Laxmi Santhanam

Mr. G.S.V. Prasad

Mr. G.S.V. Prasad

Mr. Maximilian Vorast

Mr. Maximilian Vorast

Mr. Vivek Saraf

Mr. Vivek Saraf

Mr. Amit Sharma

Mr. Amit Sharma

The audience at the session on "Business Opportunities for AgriPV in India"

The audience at the session on "Business Opportunities for AgriPV in India"

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