Data-driven Strategies for Sustainable Deployment of Solar Pumps

Solar pumps present an opportunity to extend access to irrigation in Asia. The presentation highlighted The Council's multi-pronged research on identifying gaps and solutions to facilitate solar-powered irrigation in a sustainable manner. This ranges from end-users' outlook about solar pumps, financier's risk perceptions and challenges in financing the technology, determinants of sustainability, and a decision support tool to identify locally-suitable deployment strategies for solar pumps.​

Rakesh Kumar

Rakesh Kumar has a diverse experience of 36 years in the energy sector, working with companies such as NHPC, POWERGRID, PTC India, and Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI). He played a key supporting role in cross-border transmission inter-connections and power trade with Bhutan, Nepal, and Bangladesh and in the development of a vibrant power market in India. His team's efforts in rooftop solar won SECI a National Award from Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India in 2016.

Pooja Sharma

Pooja Sharma is an engineering graduate from Delhi College of Engineering, India. She has more than 12 years of work experience and has been embedded in the principles of equality and accessibility of energy services for people living under energy poverty conditions. Energy solutions through technology (micro-hydro, solar irrigation, cook stoves) different financing models (such as Result based financing, impact financing), energy planning are her areas of work.

Presentation on Business Models for Solar Irrigation in Bangladesh and India

Only a small percentage of rural population in Bangladesh has grid connectivity; hence utilizing renewable energy for households is a viable option. Technology alone, however, is not sufficient for adoption and diffusion of renewable energy systems. There is a need to adopt appropriate financing modalities for scalability of these initiatives.