Understanding PM KUSUM Component C: Turning Water Consumers into Power Producers
In traditional Indian agricultural operations, grid-connected agricultural pumps consume immense amounts of state-subsidized electricity, burdening power distribution companies (DISCOMs) with massive financial losses and resulting in power rationing where farmers receive electricity only at night. PM-KUSUM Component C (Individual Pump Solarization) creates a win-win economic paradigm by solarizing these existing grid connections.
Under Component C, the farmer's pump is fitted with a solar array generating up to twice the pump's power rating. Because farmers only irrigate during specific crop growth windows (averaging 100 to 140 days per year for 4 to 6 hours a day), the solar system sits idle for the remaining 220+ days of the year. Through a bidirectional net meter, this massive volume of daytime green power is injected into the local grid, generating continuous tariff revenue directly credited to the farmer.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What happens during cloudy or rainy days?
Because the installation remains connected to the electrical distribution grid, the farmer can seamlessly draw power from the grid whenever solar radiation is inadequate, ensuring irrigation reliability is never compromised.
Is there a subsidy for solarizing existing pumps under Component C?
Yes. The Central Government provides 30% CFA (50% for NE/hilly states) and State Governments provide at least 30%, meaning farmers only contribute 40% (or 10% margin money with an agricultural bank loan).