Preliminary economic analysis of solar irrigation systems (SIS) for selected locations

Abstract

A preliminary analysis of the economic feasibility of stand-alone solar irrigation systems (SIS) for certain applications in various locations is described. The economic feasibility was determined by comparing the life cycle cost (LCC) of the solar system to the LCC of conventional systems. The systems analyzed were point studies and do not represent either worst case or best case conditions. Therefore, general conclusions should not be drawn on the results presented here. The results show that for these cases, economic feasibility is dependent on utilization of the SIS for production of energy in addition to that required for water crops. In Southern Arizona, the LCC of the SIS, when used only to pump water, ranges from 3 to 1.7 times that of a conventional electric system for start-up dates of 1980 and 1990. For the same system, the LCC ratio ranges from 1.6 to 0.9 when 100 percent utilization of the system capacity is achieved. The feasibility of a hybrid system was also examined for Arizona. This system purchased 21 percent of the required power, yet the hybrid LCC was only 90 percent of that of a conventional electric system with a 1990 start-up date.