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.
| Country/region | Topic | Period | Budget |
|---|---|---|---|
|
SouthAsiaregional |
Climate change and environment Water Agriculture & food security
Renewable energy generation
Water resources conservation Agricultural water resources |
01.06.2025
- 31.12.2028 |
CHF 4’600’000
|
- 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.
- 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.
- Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research
- Foreign private sector South/East
- 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.
- 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).
-
Sector according to the OECD Developement Assistance Commitiee categorisation ENERGY
WATER SUPPLY & SANITATION
AGRICULTURE
Sub-Sector according to the OECD Developement Assistance Commitiee categorisation Energy generation, renewable sources - multiple technologies
Water resources conservation (including data collection)
Agricultural water resources
Aid Type Mandate without fiduciary fund
Project and programme contribution
Project number 7F10119
| Background | 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. |
| Objectives | 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). |
| Target groups | 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. |
| Medium-term outcomes |
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. |
| Results |
Expected results: Results from previous phases: |
| Directorate/federal office responsible |
SDC |
| Project partners |
Contract partner Foreign academic and research organisation Private sector |
| Coordination with other projects and actors |
|
| Budget | Current phase Swiss budget CHF 4’600’000 Swiss disbursement to date CHF 737’500 Total project since first phase Swiss budget CHF 5’570’000 Budget inclusive project partner CHF 10’170’000 |
| Project phases | Phase 2 01.06.2025 - 31.12.2028 (Current phase) Phase 1 01.08.2018 - 31.05.2025 (Completed) |
