PM-KUSUM agrivoltaics: crop-compatible solar design for EPCs

Agrivoltaics is a simple idea with hard engineering: keep the farm farming while solar sits above it. For a PM-KUSUM EPC, that means raising panels, widening rows and building stronger structures so sunlight still reaches the crop. Done well, one acre earns from power and produce. Done poorly, you shade the crop or overspend on steel. This guide covers the design choices that decide which way it goes.

What agrivoltaics is

Agrivoltaics means growing crops and generating solar power on the same land at once. Instead of covering a field with low panels, you raise the array so plants, sunlight and machinery fit below. The land keeps producing food and the panels produce power. It is sometimes called agri-PV or dual-use solar.

The trade-off is light. Panels above a crop cast shade, so the design has to share sunlight between the modules and the plants. Get that balance right for the crop, and both can thrive. This is why agrivoltaics is a design problem, not just a mounting choice.

For a farmer, the appeal is plain: the land keeps earning from crops while it also earns from power. For an EPC, the appeal is a smoother land deal and a project that the community supports. But the engineering has to deliver both outputs, so the design decisions in this guide — height, spacing, structure and crop choice — are not optional details. They decide whether the field produces food and power, or neither well.

Why agrivoltaics fits PM-KUSUM

Agrivoltaics fits PM-KUSUM because the scheme already puts solar on farmland through Component A. Component A builds decentralised ground-mounted plants, usually 0.5–2 MW, on farmer or barren land that sells power to the DISCOM. Agrivoltaics lets that same land keep growing crops, which can make the lease easier and the farmer happier.

The formal policy support, though, is still forming. The expanded PM-KUSUM 2.0 and agrivoltaics direction was in consultation as of writing and is not finalised. Do not plan a business around guaranteed agri-PV incentives — confirm the current status and any provisions against the latest MNRE PM-KUSUM 2.0 notification first.

Panel height and clearance

Panel height in agrivoltaics is raised above standard ground-mount so crops, sunlight and farm machinery fit underneath. There is no single fixed national height standard yet, so confirm structural and height norms against the latest MNRE and state agri-PV guidance before you finalise a design.

Clearance follows the crop and the machine

The clearance you need depends on two things: the crop and the equipment. A short vegetable crop tended by hand needs less height than a field where a tractor or harvester must pass. Set the clearance for the tallest task on that land, and remember that more height means more wind load and more steel.

Row spacing and light to the crop

Row spacing in agrivoltaic design is widened compared with a pure power plant so crops below receive enough sunlight. Wider rows mean fewer panels per acre and less power, but they keep the field productive. The right pitch depends on the crop, the latitude and the panel tilt.

Structure and mounting choices

The structure carries the whole design, because taller posts face more wind load and need stronger foundations. An agrivoltaic frame is heavier and costs more steel than a low ground-mount. Spend the engineering time here — a structure that fails in a storm risks the crop, the array and your PBG.

Fixed, tilted or tracker?

Most PM-KUSUM agri-PV uses fixed-tilt frames raised on tall posts for simplicity and cost. Some designs use adjustable tilt to manage shade across seasons. Trackers add power but add cost and maintenance, which matters when you also own years of O&M. Keep it simple unless the numbers clearly justify more.

Foundation type matters too. Taller posts carrying more wind load usually need concrete footings or deeper driven piles than a low ground-mount, and the soil on farmland varies a lot. Get a proper geotechnical view before you fix the design, because a footing that works in firm soil can fail in soft, waterlogged farm ground. The cost of getting foundations wrong on a tall agri-PV frame is far higher than the cost of testing the soil first.

Crop-compatible layout

A crop-compatible layout targets enough sunlight for the chosen crop while still generating good power. Shade-tolerant crops can sit under denser arrays; sun-hungry crops need wider gaps. There is no one layout that fits every field, so design for the specific crop the farmer will grow.

• Know the crop first — its light need sets your row spacing and tilt.
• Leave working lanes — people and machines must move between rows.
• Plan water — the same plot may also run a PM-KUSUM pump and irrigation.
• Protect the soil — runoff from panels can erode or waterlog the ground below.

Because the farmer keeps using the land, your land lease agreement must spell out who farms, who maintains the array, and how the two share the plot. A clear lease prevents disputes once crops and panels share the same acre.

Cost versus standard ground-mount

Agrivoltaics usually costs more than standard ground-mount because of the taller, stronger structure. The extra steel and deeper foundations raise the upfront bill, and wider rows lower power per acre. The offset is a farmable plot and any future agri-PV policy support, neither of which is guaranteed today.

Model both options before you bid. Use the Component A returns calculator to compare a plain ground-mount plant against an agri-PV layout on the same land. Treat every cost and tariff figure as an estimate to confirm with the live tender and the latest MNRE order.

Water, drainage and O&M under the panels

Agrivoltaics changes how water moves across the field, so drainage is part of the design, not an afterthought. Rain runs off the panels and concentrates in lines below the array, which can erode soil or waterlog a crop if you ignore it. Plan the runoff path, and where useful, channel it to help irrigation rather than harm the crop.

The same plot may also run a PM-KUSUM solar pump for irrigation, so coordinate the array layout with the water system. Leave room for pipes, drip lines and people to work between rows. A design that looks neat on paper but blocks irrigation access will frustrate the farmer and risk the lease.

O&M is harder above a live crop

Maintaining panels above a growing crop is harder than over bare ground. You cannot drive heavy equipment under the array during the growing season, and cleaning has to avoid damaging plants below. Design for access — walkways, safe cleaning methods and clear lanes — because you own the array for years. Read the 5-year O&M guide for how that long obligation shapes every build decision.

Design mistakes to avoid

The common agri-PV mistakes are shading the crop too heavily, under-building the structure, and designing without the farmer or an agronomist. Each one shows up later as a failed crop, a storm- damaged array, or a broken lease. Avoiding them is mostly about planning for the real field, not an idealised one.

• Too much shade — narrow rows starve the crop; widen the pitch for the plant's needs.
• Weak structure — taller frames face more wind; do not save on steel or foundations.
• No agronomist — the crop's light and water needs must drive the layout.
• Ignoring access — leave lanes for people, machines and irrigation.
• Assuming policy support — do not bank on unconfirmed PM-KUSUM 2.0 incentives.

The biggest planning error is treating agri-PV like a normal ground-mount plant with taller legs. It is a shared-use system where two businesses — power and farming — must both work on one acre. Design it as that from the start, and verify every emerging norm against the latest MNRE guidance before you commit.

How SuryaHub helps you build agri-PV

SuryaHub runs an agrivoltaic Component A project from land lease through design, procurement and execution in one place. The project management tools keep the design, structural drawings, costs and timelines in order, and the procurement and inventory module tracks the extra steel and modules an agri-PV frame needs. SuryaHub is pre-revenue; real pilots are Suryantra Energy and RGESPL, and every design and policy figure here is an estimate to verify.

Related guides

Frequently asked questions

Sources & references

Agrivoltaic structural norms and PM-KUSUM 2.0 policy support are emerging and change over time. Always confirm current design rules and any agri-PV provisions against the latest MNRE notification before you design or bid.

• Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) ↗

  PM-KUSUM guidelines and PM-KUSUM 2.0 / agri-PV policy notifications.

• PM-KUSUM National Portal ↗

  Scheme dashboard, Component A data and state links.

• NITI Aayog ↗

  Land-use, agriculture and renewable-energy policy research on agrivoltaics.