Journal of AgriSearch 4(4):294-297 Solar energy groundwater pumping: A sustainable solution to energy squeeze in smallholders' Irrigation in India (original) (raw)
Related papers
2017
India′s smallholder agriculture boomed with supplemental irrigation made possible by diesel and electric pumps. Nevertheless, the smallholders' irrigation is under siege from an energy squeeze with deteriorating farm power supply and manifold increase in diesel prices. This energy squeeze undermines the adoption of broad range precision irrigation technologies and profitable productivity of small holdings. However, the use of solar energy particularly in groundwater pumping and use of pressured irrigation could improve energy access, reduce fossil fuels 2 consumptions, as average incident solar radiation over India's geographical area is of 4-7 kWh/m / day with 250-300 clear sunshine days/year. To promote solar energy use under the prevailing solar radiation conditions and depth to water level scenario of groundwater a suitable groundwater pumping system model is required to fulfil the irrigation needs. This paper describes a solar photovoltaic groundwater pumping model suitable for small farm irrigation ether by traditional methods of irrigations or by pressured method, as it generates pressure heads of 98-147kPa when 2 incident solar radiation ranged from 400-800W/m , the solar radiation condition which prevails over its geographical area between 9.00-14.00 hrs round the year.
Journal of Natural Resource Conservation and Management
Groundwater abstraction to meet irrigation demand is becoming a costly affair due to significant energy poverty in terms of electricity deficits and substantial increase in the cost of fossil fuel. Under this scenario, solar energy could be the most viable and sustainable option given its potential over India's geographical location. The dominance of small farms, policy frameworks, and financing schemes to increase solar energy use; many Indian states are offering heavy subsidies, even up to 90%, on small-capacity solar pumps to benefit smallholders. One of the popular and subsidized systems is a 3.0 horsepower solar water pumping system among the system categories. This paper presents the status of smallholders' irrigation, photovoltaic technology, and its possible application, and performance of a 3.0 horsepower solar pumping system evaluated under the incidence solar radiation of 3.4-6.4 kWh/m 2 /day and the prevailing groundwater depth regime in Eastern region of India. This could help the smallholders to plan for crops and cropping sequences under the command area of this pump for more benefits.
Performance of Small Capacity Solar Pump in Eastern Region of India
2020
Solar energy use for groundwater abstraction is one of the most viable options for small holders' irrigation in current scenario of increasing fuel prices. Therefore, the dissemination and adoption of solar pumps of low capacities among these farmers is in demand. This paper presents the performance of a 3.0 horsepower solar pump, as this capacity solar pump are being promoted by many state governments among small farmers at subsidised rates. As performance of solar pump depends upon the solar radiation availability and groundwater regime, therefore assessment and quantification of water abstraction per day round the year is of immense importance for cropping pattern and cropping intensity. Study showed that in E a s t e r n r e g i o n o f I n d i a w h e r e groundwater depth is ranged from 5-10 m bgl with annual fluctuation of ±2 to ±4 m, solar radiation is ranged from 6.4 to 3.4 2 kWh/m /day ; a 3.0 horsepower solar pump can abstract groundwater between 3 102-173 m /day, depending on the months and brightness of the day. This capacity pump also offers a delivery pressure head 2 of 1.1-1.5 kg/cm , and therefore it facilitates pressured irrigation coupling for improved water use efficiency.
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.
Solar Photovoltaic Water Pumping System for Pressurised Irrigation
ENVIRONMENTAL AND EARTH SCIENCES RESEARCH JOURNAL, 2016
Solar powered drip irrigation in the marriage of two systems that have enormous independent impact. Solar powered pumps save potentially hours of labor daily in rural off-grid areas where water routing in traditionally done by hand by woman. They are durable and immune to fuel shortage and in the mediumto-long-term costs less than traditional diesel powered generators (e.g. Kohle et al. 2002). Automated Drip Irrigation System provides a sustainable solution to workmanship that is needed for flooding irrigation. The use of this photo-irrigation system will be able to contribute to the socioeconomic development. It is the proposed solution for the energy crisis for the Indian farmers. This system conserves electricity by reducing the usage of grid power and easy to implement and environment friendly solution for irrigation fields.
2015
Present paper aims to discuss scope and limitations of photovoltaic solar water pumping system. Components and functioning of PV solar pumping system are described. In addition, review of research works of previous noteworthy researchers has also been done. Irrigation is well established procedure on many farms in world and is practiced on various levels around the world. It allows diversification of crops, while increasing crop yields. However, typical irrigation systems consume a great amount of conventional energy through the use of electric motors and generators powered by fuel. Photovoltaic energy can find many applications in agriculture, providing electrical energy in various cases, particularly in areas without an electric grid. In this paper the description of reviews on a photovoltaic irrigation system, is presented. Since various irrigation points of organization are located in areas without an electric grid, photovoltaic cells can provide the necessary power for the oper...
Feasibility Assessment of photovoltaic pumping for irrigation in West Bengal, India
Abstrat Erratic power supply and frequent grid failures are typical in most part of rural India. Farmers have a diesel pump or diesel run generator as an alternative to minimize the risk of crop failure due to discontinued water supply. As an alternative to expensive rural electricity grids and inefficient conversion of fossil fuels, renewable energies can contribute to solving this problem. This study was conducted to determine the potential of Photovoltaic pumping system (PVPS) in West Bengal. Primary data was collected by conducting survey and secondary data was collected through literature review and government data. The designing and simulation of the system was performed using computer software 'DAST PVPS' and CropWat computer code is used to calculate the crop water requirement (CWR) based on FAO modified Penman-Monteith approach. The results showed a high potential of PVPS and in the last 10 to 15 years technical developments have increased significantly and the cost...
Irrigation is a well established procedure on many farms and is practiced on various levels around the world. It allows diversification of crops, while increasing crop yields. However, typical irrigation systems consume a great amount of conventional energy through the use of electric motors and generators powered by fuel. Photovoltaic energy can find many applications in agriculture, providing electrical energy in various cases, particularly in areas without an electric grid. In this paper the description of reviews on a photovoltaic irrigation system, is presented. Photovoltaic water pumping system is one of the best alternative methods for irrigation. The variation of spatial and temporal distribution of available water for irrigation makes significant demand on water conservation techniques. Hence solar powered Automated Irrigation System provides a sustainable solution to enhance water use efficiency in the agricultural fields using renewable energy system removes workmanship that is needed for flooding irrigation. The use of this photo-irrigation system will be able to contribute to the socioeconomic development. It is the proposed solution for the energy crisis for the Indian farmers. This system conserves electricity by reducing the usage of grid power and easy to implement and environment friendly solution for irrigating fields.
Optimal Sizing of Solar Water Pumping System for Small Scale Irrigation: Case Study of Dangila
International Journal of Sustainable and Green Energy, 2014
The diesel driven water pumping systems have a great impact on irrigation in remote areas around the world. However the gradual increase of fuel prices worldwide and high maintenance cost discourages the utilization of the technology. Therefore, it is important to think of an alternative energy source for such application. The optimal sizing of this PV water pumping provides theoretical studies of photovoltaics and modelling of electric power requirement for powering pump to irrigate crops as an alternative to diesel technology. The analysis employs determining the optimum tilt angle of solar panel which can collect the maximum solar energy when irrigation water demand could be higher based on seasonal Variation. The irrigation requirement has been determined by combining climate inputs, hydrology, crop type and developing stage, soil type, moisture and irrigation method etc. at each time stage of irrigation period. The power requirement has been analysed using dynamic programming by relating hydraulic load with the solar radiation energy from the solar panel for each decadal irrigation period. The maximum power has been minimized so as to select the power which can satisfy all irrigation periods with reduced cost of PV system. Furthermore Pumps (Centrifugal surfaces) with high discharge and low heads are selected to minimize water cost for such application as surface water sources from rivers and ponds are mostly applicable for irrigation in Ethiopia.
Technical and Economic Feasibility of Solar Irrigation Pumping System: A Review
Knowledge-Based Engineering and Sciences, 2020
Climate change has become a major constraint to the development of rain-fed agriculture due to the decline of rainfall. Therefore, irrigated agriculture is an alternative allowing farmers to have more access to water in order to meet crop water requirements. However, irrigated agriculture faces a major constraint related to the accessibility of energy sources used in pumping water. In general, the most common energy sources used in pumping water for irrigation are fuel and electricity. Nevertheless, they are very expensive, are not always accessible particularly in rural areas in Africa and have a negative impact on the environment; hence the need to find alternatives to solve this problem. This review focuses on the technical and economic feasibility of solar irrigation pumps and the impact of their use on the environment. Several aspects related to solar pumping have been discussed, namely the components of the solar pumping system, the energy source used, the principle of operati...