Seite drucken

Solar Energy for Agriculture Resilience (SoLAR)


Solar agri-technologies have the potential to make smallholder based agri-food systems in South Asia and East Africa more socially just and responsive to climate change. To enable scaling of these technologies, SoLAR phase 2 will deliver tools and models to support policy making, leverage Swiss know-how to propose innovative financing mechanisms, and strengthen science, policy and practice collaboration for water-energy-food nexus gains.

Land/Region Thema Periode Budget
SouthAsiaregional
Klimawandel & Umwelt
Wasser
Landwirtschaft und Ernährungssicherheit
Erzeugung erneuerbarer Energien
Einsparung von Wasserressourcen
Landwirtschaftliche Wasserressourcen
01.06.2025 - 31.12.2028
 CHF  4’600’000
Das Projekt in Kürze
Hintergrund With 500,000 installations in the last decade, solar irrigation pumps (SIPs) are curtailing the carbon footprint of agri-food systems across South Asia. Assured irrigation also enhances farmer resilience and food security. But the uptake of SIPs is truncated by systemic challenges: prohibitive costs impede inclusive access; and potential to trigger negative water-energy-food (WEF) nexus loops, such as over-extraction of groundwater. Further, there is a lack of experience in bundling SIPs with solar agri-technologies like cold storages, dryers, grinders, agri-voltaics, to strengthen the agri-food systems and enhance financial viability of solar deployment. In East Africa, adoption of solar agri-tech, including SIPs, is in a nascent stage. SoLAR aims to contribute to “just energy transition” by unlocking policies and investment, testing WEF positive solar agri-tech bundles and facilitating South-South exchange.
Ziele To strengthen the enabling environment and unlock investments for the promotion of socially inclusive solar energy systems for agriculture to support government efforts to combat climate change and strengthen the agri-food systems in South Asia (Bangladesh and India) and East Africa (Ethiopia and Kenya).
Zielgruppen The target group includes the public and private sector organizations and farmers. Formulation and adoption of solar agri-tech policies and projects, will benefit 50’000 farming households (300’000 individuals), with at least 30% from vulnerable groups including women and small and marginal farmers.
Mittelfristige Wirkungen

Outcome 1- Evidence-based policy design: Policymakers integrate water-energy-food interlinkages, in a socially inclusive manner, to enhance efficiency and effectiveness of solar agri-tech programs.

Outcome 2- Accelerating finance: Climate-smart and socially inclusive financing solutions for scaling solar agri-tech are co-developed and launched.

Outcome 3- Capacity building: Strengthened knowledge, capacities and south-south collaboration leads to greater uptake of solar agri-tech applications.

Outcome 4- Solar Scaling through Living Labs: Existing platforms and living labs are assesed and optimized for scaling inclusive solar agri-tech bundles and innovations.
Resultate

Erwartete Resultate:  

  • Development and adoption of water-energy-food composite index and solar suitability maps.
  • Scaling roadmaps for innovative financial instruments for solar agri-tech adoption.
  • Enhanced capacities of policymakers, trainers, businesses to benefit 10,000 farmers
  • Scaling of solar agri-tech innovations through “living labs” approach benefits 40,000 farmers.


Resultate von früheren Phasen:  

  • SoLAR 1, through accompanying reseach and science diplomacy, influenced national SIP schemes. In Pakistan, SoLAR 1 contributed to the design of a CHF1.14 billion scheme to solarize 100,000 tubewells. Bangladesh’s plan to solarize all its diesel tubewells was influenced by the grid-integrated SIPs piloted under SoLAR1.
  • SIPs contributed to 23% increase in solar energy fed into the power grid in India.
  • SoLAR 1 created several co-benefits for farmers: it increased their income by 20-35% by feeding in excess electricity into grid, lowered irrigation costs and increased safety for women due to day time power supply.
  • SoLAR 1 contributed to food system transformation through crop diversification, and a new subsidy quota for inclusion of women farmers.
Verantwortliche Direktion/Bundesamt DEZA
Projektpartner Vertragspartner
Ausländische Hochschul- und Forschungsinstitution
Privatsektor
  • Beratungsgruppe für internationale Agrarforschung
  • Ausländischer Privatsektor Süden/Osten
  • SoLAR 2 is a contribution to the International Water Management Institute (IWMI). IWMI is a member of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), a global partnership of organizations engaged in research for a food secure future and a key partner of SDCs section Food Systems. IWMI, through successful implementation of SoLAR phase I, is uniquely placed to serve the science-policy-practice interface and will leverage its existing expertise and network in the WEF nexus in South Asia and East Africa.


Koordination mit anderen Projekten und Akteuren
  • National/provincial Ministries/Departments of Renewable Energy, Agriculture and Rural Extension Services, and Water and Irrigation to embed WEF tools into policies.
  • Public and private sector financial institutions for developing and testing innovative financing instruments.
  • Research institutions, and private sector enterprises for scaling solar agri-tech.
  • The African Union, International Solar Alliance (ISA) and International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) for regional and global outreach.
  • SDC-funded projects – Renewable Energy, Energy and Resource Efficiency Promotion in Developing and Transition Countries (REPIC), and the Swiss Investment Fund for Emerging Markets (SIFEM), the multi-donor initiatives - Energising Development (EnDEV), ACELI Africa, Energy and Environment Partnership Africa Trust Fund (EEP-A), and the Clean Off-grid Energy Access (COGEA).
Budget Laufende Phase Schweizer Beitrag CHF    4’600’000 Bereits ausgegebenes Schweizer Budget CHF    0 Budget inklusive Projektpartner CHF    11’500’000 Projekttotal seit Anfangsphase Schweizer Beitrag CHF   5’570’000 Budget inklusive Projektpartner CHF   10’170’000
Projektphasen

Phase 2 01.06.2025 - 31.12.2028   (Active)

Phase 1 01.08.2018 - 31.05.2025   (Laufende Phase)
  • Sektor nach Kategorisierung des Entwicklungshilfeekomitees der OECD ENERGIE
    WASSERVERSORGUNG & SIEDLUNGSHYGIENE
    LANDWIRTSCHAFT
    Sub-Sektor nach Kategorisierung des Entwicklungshilfeekomitees der OECD
    Energy generation, renewable sources - multiple technologies
    Schutz von Wasserressourcen (inkl. Datenerfassung)
    Landwirtschaftliche Wasser-Ressourcen
    Unterstützungsform Auftrag mit treuhänderischer Mittelverwaltung
    Projekt- und Programmbeitrag
    Projektnummer

    7F10119

Zum Anfang
Letzte Aktualisierung 13.05.2025