India – Solar Powered Greenhouses

Despite the dispute, Indian companies are forging ahead with plans for solar-powered greenhouse generators. A joint venture between Indian company PR Clean Energy and Fonroche Energie of France, they aim to help to solve two major shortages in India’s countryside – the lack of land and the lack of electrical power.

Pratap Raju of PR Clean Energy explains there are three main advantages to greenhouses;

“Firstly, land is very difficult to come by in large parts of India. These greenhouses don’t take any land from agricultural use. Secondly greenhouses increase the productivity of land by increasing yields and… actually increasing the growing season from three to eight months. Finally… by building these solar greenhouses you create power generation in rural India.”

One of the major issues in modern India, is the gulf between services provided for city dwellers and the rural population – these greenhouses can provide a major boost to rural populations – PR Fonroche plan to build the greenhouses free of cost, use some of the power for the farm, and sell the rest back to the national grid – creating a robust power grid, whilst opening up new lands and teaching the farmers new techniques. It appears the US will have to take this one on the chin.

Robin Parker of Cheshire based, bespoke greenhouse designers Gabriel Ash, fully supports this initiative;

“The greenhouse is becoming increasingly pivotal in helping developing countries alleviate food shortages. This particular scheme really caught my eye because it is multipurpose. It is helping people on the ground level, but also helps solve a wider problem.”

Indeed, it is becoming increasingly clear that as greenhouse technology advances, it’s compatibility with other new technologies becomes ever more apparent.  The greenhouse – it seems, will remain evergreen.

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