Challenge
In rural India, activities across the agricultural value chain are powered by expensive and polluting diesel engines. Energy poverty stifles agricultural productivity and farmer income and contributes to the climate emergency. Switching to an alternative energy source is not an option, as around 85% of farmers are small landholders and cannot afford to invest in solar technology.
Solution
Oorja is a farming-as-a-service (FAAS) company that finances, installs, operates, and maintains decentralized solar energy systems for agricultural use. It sells affordable and reliable irrigation, and agro-processing and refrigeration services to farmers on a pay-per-use basis, without any upfront technology acquisition costs. Access to these services enables smallholders, low-income and women farmers to reduce their input costs, boost their crop yields by up to 30%, diversify and expand their cropping systems, and sustainably increase their income from farming.
Videos
Recent News
Providing Clean Energy Solutions to India’s Bottom of the Pyramid Population (University of New Hampshire's Carsey School of Public Policy)
State of the Decentralized Renewable Energy Sector in India Report 2019-20 (Clean Energy Access Network with support from Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation)
Laureate Spotlight: Oorja Development Solutions (Keeling Curve Prize)
Photos
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