The Socio-Economic Impact of Using Photovoltaic (PV) Energy for High-Efficiency Irrigation Systems: A Case Study

Faakhar Raza, Muhammad Tamoor, Sajjad Miran, Waseem Arif, Tayybah Kiren, Waseem Amjad, Muhammad Imtiaz Hussain and Gwi-Hyun Lee
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Faakhar Raza: Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources, Lahore 54000, Pakistan
Muhammad Tamoor: Department of Electrical Engineering and Technology, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
Sajjad Miran: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Gujrat, Gujrat 50700, Pakistan
Waseem Arif: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Gujrat, Gujrat 50700, Pakistan
Tayybah Kiren: Department of Computer Science, (RCET), University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore 39161, Pakistan
Waseem Amjad: Department of Energy Systems Engineering, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
Muhammad Imtiaz Hussain: Agriculture and Life Sciences Research Institute, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Korea
Gwi-Hyun Lee: Interdisciplinary Program in Smart Agriculture, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Korea

Energies, 2022, vol. 15, issue 3, 1-21

Abstract: This paper presents the results of a field study undertaken all over the Punjab, Pakistan, to evaluate the socio-economic and climatic impact of photovoltaic-operated high-efficiency irrigation systems (HEIS), i.e., drip and sprinkler irrigation systems. Nearly half of the rural population relies on agriculture for a living, and the recent energy crisis has had a negative impact on rural communities. Farmers’ reliance on fossil fuels for the operation of irrigation systems has increased exponentially, resulting in the high costs of agricultural production. Primary data regarding on-farm agriculture and irrigation practices used in this study were collected through an intensive on-farm survey, while secondary data were taken from published reports and statistics. The results of the current investigation show that the installation of PV systems has resulted in the increased adoption of high-efficiency irrigation systems, a reduction in the high operational costs incurred on account of old diesel-powered pumping systems (with an annual saving of 6.6 million liters of diesel), a 100% increase in farmer’s income, a reduction of 17,622 tons of CO 2 emissions per annum, and 41% savings in water. The unit cost of PV-powered HEIS was found to be 0.1219 USD/kWh, which was 4% and 66% less than subsidized electricity cost and diesel cost, respectively.

Keywords: photovoltaic systems; high-efficiency irrigation systems; energy saving; climate smart agriculture; water conservation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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