Feasibility of Solar-Powered Groundwater Pumping Systems in Rural Areas of Greater Giyani Municipality (Limpopo, South Africa) (original) (raw)
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2011
Summary Solar (photovoltaic) powered water pumping (PVP) has great potential for the supply of water to rural communities in developing countries. This paper introduces a case study from the Kunene region, Namibia and explores opportunities and obstacles for PVP in rural water supply, such as theft of solar panels, externalities, training and capacity building, water supply monitoring, sanitation and community based management. The notion of ́handover for full ownership ́ of waterpoints to communities is challenged, as there is a mismatch between the prescribed roles and capabilities of waterpoint associations. In order to enhance the success of PVP schemes the study proposes flexible approaches to cost recovery, maintenance of social infrastructures as well as physical ones, and encourages ways to enhance mutual learning and solutions tailored to the environment. It is suggested that there may be a bias against the technology due to high initial costs, current emphasis on building ...
An Appraisal of Solar Powered Water System for Sustainable Rural Development
International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation (IJRSI), 2019
In locations where electricity is unavailable, other means are necessary to pump water for consumption. Solar photovoltaic is strongly proven for cutting down greenhouse gases emissions, cost of fuel (diesel) and environmental pollution problems that the world is facing today due to the use of nonrenewable energy sources. Niger state considered in this study is also experiencing these challenges with imbalance and unreliable electrical power supply. The case chosen was Gubata village in Gbako local government, Niger State. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the potentiality and cost effectiveness of using solar borehole system in Gubata Village in Gbako local government area in Niger State. The Analysis of the solar powered system was based on the estimated daily water supply rate of 40,000 litres. A cost-comparison analysis between the solar-powered system and generator powered system was done using Life-Cycle Costing Analysis. Results obtained from the study showed that a 1.4 kW solar powered unit can supply the desired water quantity. Comparing the power supply costs of both systems over a 5-year life cycle showed that the dieselgenerator powered system has a present value cost of about 230% higher than that of the solar powered unit. The outcome of this study showed that the PV pumping systems include low operating cost, unattended operation, low maintenance, easy installation, and long life.
Energy and Water Needs Analysis: Towards Solar Photovoltaic Water Pumping in Rural Areas of Malawi
Journal of Sustainability Research
Water and energy are both major challenges in rural areas of developing countries, including in the sub-Saharan Africa Region. This study assessed water and energy needs, challenges, and costs in order to produce a body of knowledge and further explore ways in which the water-energy synergies could be utilised. A mixed-mode survey method consisting of questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, observations and focus group discussions involving participants in the rural areas of Chiradzulu District in Malawi was employed. The study findings show that water access is generally inadequate, caused by high population, low yield, disparity in the distribution of water sources, and non-functionality. Using the contingent valuation method, logistic regression showed the only predictor of willingness to pay for drinking water was income and the predictors to pay for irrigation water were occupation, age and household size. Sustainable energy access was also found lacking for cooking and basic energy services such as for lighting, mobile charging and for radios. Biomass remains the main source of cooking energy, whereas battery powered torches have replaced paraffin for lighting. Overall, the household survey results imply that there is need for more sustainable water and energy provision. To address both challenges, the study recommends solar PV water pumping systems which can be designed in such a way that they can be simultaneously used for providing basic energy services. Further research is needed to address cooking energy choices.
The potential of renewable energy for rural groundwater supply in the Elundini Municipality
2014
Historically, groundwater has been supplied to the rural Inhabitants of the Elundini municipality in the Eastern Cape by diesel powered borehole pumps which have proved to be problematic in recent times with water supply to the inhabitants being inadequate. There are several reasons for this such as the ever increasing cost of the diesel, the transportation of it to the rural sites and insufficient maintenance of the systems. This study investigated how suitable the use of solar and wind powered groundwater pumping would be in the region based on the respective natural energy resources available and how these would compare with currently used diesel powered options. This was done by designing notional systems for a sample of existing villages with their respective water supply requirements comprised essentially of the head required to be pumped from borehole water depth to the village, as well as daily water requirements based on 25 litres per person per day (pppd). It was found tha...
The extent, characteristics and potential of solar powered irrigation systems in South Africa
Journal of Energy in Southern Africa, 2021
South Africa has been identified as having a high potential for solar powered irrigation. However, there has been a lag in the development of solar powered irrigation systems (SPIS) there, mainly due to the high investment cost associated with solar technology. South Africa has frequently implemented load shedding, which has affected many farmers. The work reported in this paper sought to determine the extent of solar powered irrigation and characteristics of the system types in use. The extent of SPIS in South Africa was determined using a questionnaire, and categorised in terms of farm size, SPIS configuration (storage of energy), type of irrigation, and location of the system. These were established mainly from a literature search. The questionnaires were administered on Survey Monkey®. The sample size of the study was 138 755 potential respondents. The number that participated and completed the questionnaires included a total of 18 SPIS engineers, installers and designers and 13...
Energy Policy, 2017
The increasing demand for solar-powered irrigation systems in agriculture has spurred a race for projects as it potentially offers a cost-effective and sustainable energy solution to off-grid farmers while helping food production and sustaining livelihoods. As a result, countries such as Morocco and Yemen have been promoting this technology for farmers and national plans with variable finance and subsidy schemes like in India have been put forward. By focusing on the application of solar photovoltaic (PV) pumping systems in groundwater-fed agriculture , this paper highlights the need to further study the impacts, opportunities and limitations of this technology within the Water-Energy-Food (WEF) nexus. It shows how most policies and projects promoting solar-based groundwater pumping for irrigation through subsidies and other incentives overlook the real financial and economic costs of this solution as well as the availability of water resources and the potential negative impacts on the environment caused by groundwater over-abstraction. There is a need to monitor groundwater abstraction, targeting subsidies and improving the knowledge and monitoring of resource use. Failing to address these issues could lead to further groundwater depletion, which could threaten the sustainability of this technology and dependent livelihoods in the future.
Viability of Solar/Wind and Hybrid Water Pumping System for Off-Grid Rural Areas in Ethiopia
2016
The tendency to use renewable energy resources has grown continuously over the past few decades, be it due to fear over warnings of global warming or because of the depletion and short life of fossil fuels or even as a result of the interest which has developed among researchers doing scientific research into it. This work can be considered as joining any of these groups with an objective of supplying drinking water to the society living in rural areas of the country. The aim of this research is to study the Viability of solar/wind and hybrid water pumping system to remotely located communities detached from the main grid line in Ethiopia. Three regions of Ethiopia selected for the study; there solar and wind energy potential determined based on the data of National Metreology Services Agency (NMSA) and NASA satellite data. The regions are Tigray, Amhara and Oromia. In addition, for hybrid water pumping system Afar region included. Generally, in this study four geographically different regions considered for standalone solar /wind and hybrid water pumping system. One potential site selected from each regions for solar photovoltaic water pumping system. From Amhara region Siadeberand Wayu site with an latitude 9º46' N, longitude 39º40' E and altitude 3009 m a.s.l; from Oromia region wolmera site with latitude 9º13' N, longitude 38º39' E and altitude 2400 m a.s.l and from Tigray region Enderta site with latitude 13º48' N, longitude 39º55' E and altitude 2247 m a.s.l. PVsyst 5.56 software used to study the feasibility of solar photovoltaic water pumping system. The designed system is capable of providing a daily average of 10.5, 7 and 6.5 m 3 /day for 700, 467 and 433 people in Siadberand Wayu, Wolmera and Enderta sites respectively. Average radiation determined from the data used as an input for software The output of the simulation of solar photovoltaic water pumping expressed in terms of annual water delivered , missing water, excess (unused) PV energy, and system efficiency during the year (performance ratio) and economic analysis expressed by global investment, yearly cost and cost of water pumped. Viability of Solar/Wind and Hybrid Water Pumping System for Off-Grid Rural Areas in Ethiopia Misrak G. iii Similarly, one potential site selected from each regions for wind power water pumping system. From Amhara region Siadeberand Wayu site with an latitude 9º46' N, longitude 39º40' E and altitude 2625 m a.s.l; from Oromia region Adami Tulu Site with latitude 7º52' N, longitude 38º42' E and altitude 1665 m a.s.l and from Tigray region East Enderta site with latitude 13º42' N, longitude 39º37' E and altitude 1926 m a.s.l. The design results show that a 5.7 m diameter windmill is required for pumping water from borehole through a total head of 75, 66 and 44 m for Siyadberand Wayu, Adami Tulu and East Enderta to meet the daily water demand of 10, 12 and 15 m 3 , respectively. MATLAB software was used for simulation of the performance of the selected wind pump and the result showed that monthly water discharge is proportional to the monthly average wind speed at the peak monthly discharge of 685 m 3 in June,888 m 3 in May and 1203 m 3 in March for Siyadberand Wayu , Adami Tulu and East Enderta sites, respectively. An economic comparison was carried out, between windmill and diesel water pumping system using LCC (life cycle cost) analysis method and the results show that windmill water pumping systems more feasible than Diesel systems. In this research, a hybrid (solar/wind) water pumping system capable of supplying 20 m 3 of water per day for 1000 people with average daily water consumption of 20 liter per person at a total head of 50, 75 and 100 m has been designed. The feasibility study of hybrid water pumping system was carried out by selecting four sites from three different administration regions. Atsbi site from Tigray region, Awash Fentale site From Afar, Borena and Adami Tulu site from Oromia region. The system consists of two technologies: wind pump and solar pump. The MATLAB software was used to study the feasibility of hybrid water pumping system for the selected sites. Comparison of unit cost of water shows that Standalone PV and Windmill system are economically optimal compared to the hybrid system.
Journal of Photonics for Energy
The lack of safe drinking water and electricity in rural areas of Sub-Saharan Africa is extremely alarming and, together with progressing climate change and political conflicts, increasingly impairing economic development. Only robust technologies of autonomous water treatment systems driven by solar electricity based on sustainable economic concepts can provide clean water and electricity at affordable prices. Technologies for water cleaning combined with off-grid electrification are analyzed for their suitability under different conditions, exemplified for Nigeria, and economically feasible concepts are developed for different target groups: (i) single-farmer concept providing electricity from PV, UV-treated drinking water and irrigation water, and generating income from selling increased crop yields; (ii) farmer cooperative; (iii) community concept, with additional income generation from selling water and electricity; and (iv) rural kiosk concept selling electricity and water, and offering further goods and services. In the latter three concepts, high quantities of drinking water and electricity are supplied by an autonomous, PV-driven water cleaning system with disinfection based on anodic oxidation and in situ chlorine production. Only if economically sustainable can drinking water and electricity supply be achieved at a global level, and the UN sustainable development goals be reached. In the framework of a rural community concept, a pilot project starts in Abuja/Nigeria based on the anodic oxidation system for water treatment with an intelligent payment systems and provision of solar-based electricity. © The Authors. Published by SPIE under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Unported License. Distribution or reproduction of this work in whole or in part requires full attribution of the original publication, including its DOI.
Feasibility study of a solar photovoltaic water pumping system for rural Ethiopia
AIMS Environmental Science, 2015
Solar Photovoltaic (SPV) water pumping system is one of the best technologies that utilize the solar energy to pump water from deep well underground water sources and to provide clean drinking water worldwide. The availability of abundant solar radiation and enough underground water sources in Ethiopia can be combined together to make clean drinking water available to rural communities. The software PVsyst 5.56 was used to study the feasibility of solar photovoltaic water pumping system in the selected sites. The designed system is capable of providing a daily average of 10.5, 7 and 6.5 m 3 /day for 700, 467 and 433 people in Siadberand Wayu, Wolmera and Enderta sites respectively, with average daily water consumption of 15 liters per day per person and the costs of water without any subsidy, are approximately 0.1, 0.14 and 0.16 /m3foreachsiterespectively.Ifdieselgeneratorisusedinsteadofsolarphotovoltaicwaterpumpingsystem,toprovidethesameaveragedailywaterfortheselectedcommunity,thecostsofwaterwithoutanysubsidyareapproximately0.2,0.23and0.27/m 3 for each site respectively. If diesel generator is used instead of solar photovoltaic water pumping system, to provide the same average daily water for the selected community, the costs of water without any subsidy are approximately 0.2, 0.23 and 0.27 /m3foreachsiterespectively.Ifdieselgeneratorisusedinsteadofsolarphotovoltaicwaterpumpingsystem,toprovidethesameaveragedailywaterfortheselectedcommunity,thecostsofwaterwithoutanysubsidyareapproximately0.2,0.23and0.27/m 3 for each site respectively. A life cycle cost analysis method was also carried out for economic comparison between solar PV and the diesel pumping system. The results of this study are encouraging the use of the PV system for drinking water supply in the remote areas of the country.