Abstract
Irrigation is a well-established procedure on many farms and is practiced around the world. However, typical irrigation systems consume a great amount of conventional energy using electric motors and generators powered by fuel. The cost of solar panels has been continually decreasing, which encourages its usage in various sectors, including agriculture, where irrigation is a crucial economic driver. The study analyzed and compared PV technology against conventional irrigation technology in common crops in Ilocos Sur. Equipment sizes were optimally determined using available irrigation requirements, rainfall data, farm area, and available equipment sizes in Ilocos Sur. Equipment sizing and economic analysis were based on one hectare of land. The cash flow analysis was conducted over an assumed equipment life of 20 years to be able to come up with levelized water pumping costs. Results showed that with typical farmland in Ilocos Sur, the farmland must be alternately planted with rice and corn to be able to be fully utilized all year round. The study showed that the solar pump installation has a heavy upfront investment cost compared to the conventional system. Due to no fuel and little to no maintenance needed, the solar pump turned out to be more economically feasible in the long run. In the 20-year life of both equipment, pumping one cubic meter of water using a solar pump is only PHP 1.35 while for gasoline, it is PHP 5.44 or around four times more expensive based on the prevailing cost at the time of the study.
Highlights
Water scarcity is becoming a major problem all around the world
Typical irrigation systems consume a significant amount of conventional energy using electric motors and generators powered by fuel
One of the applications of this technology is used in irrigation systems for farming [1]
Summary
Water scarcity is becoming a major problem all around the world. It is attributable to water pollution, inadequate river flow and demand increase due to population growth and rapid urbanization [1]. Irrigation is a well-established procedure on many farms and is practiced on various levels around the world This paves the way to crop diversification, at the same time increasing agricultural yields. Solar-powered irrigation systems can be a suitable alternative for farmers in the present state of energy crisis in the Philippines. This is a green way for energy production, which provides free energy once an initial investment is made. For the benefit of the agricultural sector, the energy need can be synonymous with irrigation requirement as the conventional technology requires fuel and/or electricity to run the engines and motors of the pumps, alongside other farm machinery. As the cost of Solar panels is dropping every year, there is a need to evaluate whether replacing the existing equipment with solar pumps and storage is worth the investment
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