On his 16-acre farm in Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, Anand Jain has been successfully harnessing solar power while cultivating crops like strawberries, lettuce, and broccoli beneath elevated panels. He’s tapped into the region’s abundant sunlight without giving up fertile land. Instead of placing solar panels directly on the ground, Anand innovated by positioning them above his crops, resulting in a transformation.

“I am a farmer, and I couldn’t give up on my land,” he says. “So I thought, why not harness the sun’s power to generate electricity without losing any of my arable land?”

By adopting agrivoltaics — a technology that merges agriculture with photovoltaic power — Anand created a dual-purpose solution. It involves installing solar panels at a height that still allows enough sunlight to reach the crops below.

The panels generate electricity while also providing shade, which protects crops from extreme temperatures. This synergy enhances both crop yields and energy generation, allowing the farm to thrive while supplying excess electricity to the grid.

Anand’s philosophy is simple: create a partnership between sun, soil, and sustainability. We sat down with the 59-year-old to learn how agrivoltaics could be a game changer in........

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