ICAR, RECPDCL partner for rooftop solar across 76 institutes
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research and REC Power Development and Consultancy have signed an agreement to install grid-connected rooftop solar systems at 76 ICAR institutes across 24 states. The combined capacity of 11,109.87 kW is expected to generate about 17.3 million units of clean electricity annually. RECPDCL will handle turnkey implementation, including design, installation, and five years of operation and maintenance.
The agreement positions RECPDCL as the central contractor for solarising agricultural research infrastructure, building on its earlier appointment by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy to oversee solar installations on government buildings under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana. ICAR is financing the entire project, while RECPDCL coordinates the work through its pre-approved engineering, procurement, and maintenance contractors.
RECPDCL's renewable portfolio extends beyond rooftop systems. In March 2026, the company invited bids for an intra-state transmission network to carry power from a planned 2,000 MW pumped storage facility at the Sharavathi complex in Karnataka, with work spanning Sharavathi, Guttu, and Talaguppa.
This initiative could meaningfully reduce the carbon footprint of agricultural research institutions across 24 states, demonstrating how public-sector facilities can adopt distributed clean energy. The projected 17.3 million units of annual generation may offset a substantial portion of these institutes' grid power use, potentially lowering electricity costs that could be redirected toward research priorities. The arrangement may also serve as a replicable model for other government departments pursuing solarisation, though its long-term impact will depend on how well the five-year maintenance commitment sustains system performance.