Do solar panels help tea plants grow?

All the tea gardens in the survey agreed that the installation of large solar panels within the garden would not impact the growth of tea plants. The study also revealed that tea estates preferred to adopt solar among the alternative energy sources.

Why are tea estates experimenting with solar power?

Buoyed by India’s intent to achieve 500 GW renewable energy capacity by 2030, tea estates in northeast India are experimenting with solar power to cut costs and maintain production, amid challenges with the delivery of fossil fuel-based grid electricity.

How does solar PV work in tea plant?

The Solar PV panels are mounted above the tea shrubs and it does not affect the growth of tea and make effective use of land. This plant consists of 197,800 dual glass solar PV modules and the annual production is estimated as 80,000 MWh. Also, it mitigates the emission of 80,000 tonnes of CO 2 into the atmosphere [ 27 ].

Is solar PV a good alternative energy source for tea manufacturing industry?

From Fig. 15, it is clear that Munnar has a good potential of solar irradiance (above 600 W/m 2) during the solar noon in all months. So, the deployment of Solar PV in Munnar could be a good alternative energy source for grid electricity in tea manufacturing industry. Fig. 14.

Can agrivoltaics be used in tea gardens?

Agrivoltaics, a method to combine agriculture and solar photovoltaics in the same plot of land, is also being considered for tea gardens. Tea garden managers will have to factor in wildlife movement spaces to sustainably integrate solar installations in such tea estates, note experts.

How long will a solar plant last in a tea garden?

“Given the fact that the total life of the plant is 25 years, this will be a very strong proposition for all tea garden owners to invest in such a solar plant,” he said, adding that there are plans of covering 100 tea gardens with solar in the next two years. Solar panels in the Kalinagar tea estate.