India's Canal Network Offers Land-Free Path to Solar Power

UPDATE - follow-up to India's vast canal network offers a land-free path to solar power: India's vast canal network provides an under-explored path to generate solar power without needing extra land. Canal-top photovoltaics involve mounting solar panels on specialised structures built over irrigation and water-supply canals, allowing unobstructed water flow. The primary advantage of this approach is that it requires virtually no additional land. For instance, in Punjab, the installation of 20 MW of canal-top systems is estimated to have saved nearly 100 acres of land. Additionally, solar panels covering canals reduce water evaporation. The cooling effect of water beneath the panels can also improve panel performance in hot weather. A 1-MW system over the Narmada Canal in Mehsana, Gujarat, commissioned in 2012, saves close to 9 million litres of water every year while generating 1.6 million units of electricity annually. India has been an early adopter of canal-top solar, starting with the Mehsana project in 2012. Two 10-MW systems were commissioned in Vadodara, Gujarat, between 2014 and 2017, and 20 MW of systems were commissioned in Punjab between 2017 and 2018. In September 2025, the Punjab Energy Development Agency invited expressions of interest for 40-MW projects across more than 10,000 km of canals, while Haryana has explored systems over six irrigation canals. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy launched a pilot scheme in 2014 with financial assistance targets. A 2024 assessment co-authored by CSTEP estimated India's canal-top and canal bank potential at around 131 GW, identifying Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Punjab as the top five states for potential. Despite early progress, deployment has remained limited due to high system costs, difficult maintenance, and irregular canal paths.