Solar-powered water solutions for sustainable agriculture in rural communities

Abstract

In numerous rural communities in Nigeria, the majority of irrigation systems are powered by fossil fuels. Conversely, a solar water pumping system can substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions while simultaneously maintaining cost-effective operation and maintenance. This research investigates and develops a photovoltaic water pumping system for sustainable agriculture in the Karshi community. The system was to draw water from a well with a dynamic level of 9.7 m and a total dynamic head of 15.7 m at a flow rate of 2.4 m3/h. A power pump of 258 W was obtained from the pump performance curve, which was required to efficiently extract water from the well and discharge it to an overhead tank. The study then employs the hybrid optimization of multiple electric renewables software to evaluate the feasibility, performance, and economic viability of a solar-powered water pumping system in comparison to a conventional diesel-driven system. The results obtained clearly show that the designed solar water pumping system solution was able to produce the energy required for irrigation. The economic viability of the system was demonstrated by its net present value of ₦1.8 million, levelized cost of electricity of ₦184.17/kWh, payback period of 0.7 years, and internal rate of return of 158.7%, which were determined by actual market prices and local inflation factors. Additionally, this study demonstrates that installing the solar system could stop the release of 102 kg of CO2 per year. This would also cut diesel fuel use by 38.9 l.