ADDITIONAL ASSIGNMENT

AEM 607
AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING
TOPIC – Agro-solar farm at Dairy DEI
REPORT

Introduction:
The DEI Solar-Agriculture Farm project, under the DST Mission Innovation R&D
initiative with a project cost of Rs. 300 Lakhs, aims to contribute to the Indian
government's targets of increasing solar power capacity to 100 GW and
doubling farmers' income by 2022. This report outlines the major objectives,
proposed solutions, and expected outcomes of the project.

Objectives:
1. Establish a Solar-Agriculture Farm to enable multiple land-use and increase
farmers' income.
2. Develop a Hybrid AC/DC Smart Microgrid for integrating renewable energy
resources and ensuring efficient energy utilization.
3. Design and implement solar-powered machinery for agriculture and dairying
to empower farmers.
Proposed Solutions:
1. Solar-Agriculture Farm:
- Installation of a 200 kWp Solar Power Plant on elevated structures, allowing
for both solar and agricultural farming.
-Utilization of transparent solar modules on towers to enable multiple land use,
thereby increasing overall land yield and farmer income.
- Solar power generated to be used for electrical loads in the Dairy complex
and nearby areas.
2. Hybrid AC/DC Smart Microgrid:
- Development of a Hybrid Microgrid consisting of coexisting AC and DC sub-
grids with corresponding loads.
- Introduction of smart monitoring and control systems for efficient grid
operation.
- Addressing different scenarios of operation and stability issues through
algorithm development and prototype testing.
3. Solar Powered Value Chain:
- Design and development of solar-powered machinery such as thrashers,
boilers for milk pasteurization, and efficient chiller/cold storage units.
- Integration of diverse renewable energy sources, including biogas, into the
microgrid for enhanced energy generation and utilization.
Expected Outcomes:
1. Establishment of a 200 kWp Solar-Agriculture farm with multiple land-use,
increasing farmers' income.
2. Development of viable business models for solar agriculture farms.
3. Implementation of a novel hybrid AC/DC grid, improving plant utilization
factor and integrating diverse renewable sources.
4. Introduction of solar-powered agricultural equipment and cold storage
facilities, reducing reliance on traditional energy sources.
5. Utilization of dairy bio waste to produce electric power, contributing to
sustainable energy practices.
Techno-economic Analysis:
1. Conduct energy audit to determine base case energy consumption at various
locations.
2. Estimate annual power generation from renewable energy sources.
3. Calculate the increase in land yield due to multiple land use.
4. Determine the payback period of the solar power plant.
5. Evaluate the increase in farmer earnings through the solar-powered value
chain.
6. Develop viable business models for common farmers to adopt renewable
energy solutions.
Conclusion:
The DEI Solar-Agriculture Farm project aims to leverage renewable energy
technologies to enhance agricultural productivity and farmer income. Through
innovative solutions such as hybrid microgrids and solar-powered machinery,
the project seeks to contribute to India's sustainable development goals and
promote inclusive growth in rural communities.