Solar Water Pump Projects in India are Gaining Momentum

For the past few years, solar water pumps have been gaining a lot of momentum as a viable solution to the water pumping requirements in electricity deprived areas in India. These systems which harness solar power to lift water offer several advantages to the beneficiary. They are economical, reliable, and entail negligible operational and maintenance costs and are especially appropriate for locations that are not connected by the electricity grid. 

Solar water pump projects in India

Solar PV water pumping systems are used for meeting irrigation and drinking water requirements in India. The Government of India is increasingly focussing on solar powered water pumping projects owing to the hosts of advantages and benefits solar PV panels offers in comparison to traditional method of electricity generation. Various solar water projects in India are doing an excellent job of not only lifting groundwater for domestic consumption, but also improving the overall financial conditions of poor rural farmers who often had to bear the brunt of failed crop owing to monsoon failure. 

Ministry of New and Renewable energy (MNRE) has been promoting the solar off-grid programs since two decades. Solar Pumping Programme was first started by MNRE in the year 1992. The project in its initial phase enjoyed limited success and popularity owing to the steep initial cost associated with photovoltaic (PV) panel’s installations. However, in recent times the module costs have started decreasing and are presently hovering around one fourth of the price in those days. Solar power is no longer an exorbitant, experimental energy source and photovoltaics are now standard in many commercial, industrial and consumer applications. As a result, the programme has become more viable and scalable. Adding to the feasibility of solar powered water pumping projects is the advent of organizations that are working to make these units more affordable and more accessible to the rural population. 

Claro Energy is one such company that since its inception has been playing a very important part in making solar water pump projects in India a resounding success. It offers the entire spectrum of solar pumping solutions at competitive prices to efficiently take care of water pumping needs of rural India. Since its inception in 2011, Claro Energy has expanded to 14 states and installed over 2200 systems.  

The focus is on revitalizing irrigation technology and practices in rural India which can lead to significant improvement in water productivity and food security.

A case in point is a woman farmer Anita Singh hailing from the Nalanda district in Bihar. After making the switch from diesel based pump to solar pump, she has been able to extend water usage from mere paddy cultivation to banana and mushroom farming as well. This had been unthinkable for her family earlier, because of the high operational costs that diesel run pump involved. Solar water pump has proved an income generating investment for her, and her family income is not restricted to the fate of a single crop.