Solar Energy for Agriculture Resilience (SoLAR)

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.

Risultati principali attesi:  

• 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.

Risultati fasi precedenti:  

• 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.

• 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).