Abstract
In the literature, many studies outline the advantages of agrivoltaic (APV) systems from different viewpoints: optimized land use, productivity gain in both the energy and water sector, economic benefits, etc. A holistic analysis of an APV system is needed to understand its full advantages. For this purpose, a case study farm size of 0.15 ha has been chosen as a reference farm at a village in Niger, West Africa. Altogether four farming cases are considered. They are traditional rain-fed, irrigated with diesel-powered pumps, irrigated with solar pumps, and the APV system. The APV system is further analyzed under two scenarios: benefits to investors and combined benefits to investors and farmers. An economic feasibility analysis model is developed. Different economic indicators are used to present the results: gross margin, farm profit, benefit-cost ratio, and net present value (NPV). All the economic indicators obtained for the solar-powered irrigation system were positive, whereas all those for the diesel-powered system were negative. Additionally, the diesel system will emit annually about 4005 kg CO2 to irrigate the chosen reference farm. The land equivalent ratio (LER) was obtained at 1.33 and 1.13 for two cases of shading-induced yield loss excluded and included, respectively.
Highlights
Food and energy are two of the main needs for human wellbeing
The main objective of this study is to carry out an economic feasibility study of an APV system at a selected site in Niger (Dar Es Salam village in the Dosso region) and to present the quantitative results for different economic indicators
MTahteisriaselsctainond Mhaesthboedens divided into two parts: first, the data collection steps are described followed by economic indicators and assumptions under considered scenarios
Summary
Food and energy are two of the main needs for human wellbeing. Demand for both these resources is increasing globally, while it is expected to increase significantly in developing countries in the future. Food security is an important issue there. I.e., drought, food production can be secured and increased with energy-intensive methods, such as pressurized irrigation. Niger is one of such countries where energy and food security issues are predominant. There are many challenges to provide enough food and energy for a growing population in the country. This will be further complicated due to predicted climate change impacts in the agricultural sector
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