Presentation On Run Irrigation pump by Solar Power

A solar-powered pump is a pump running on electricity generated by photovoltaics or the heat from collecting sunlight. The operation of solar powered pumps is more economical and has less environmental impact than pumps powered by conventional electricity. Solar pumps are useful where grid electricity is unavailable.

Photovoltaic cell - a cell that converts solar energy into electrical energy. A photovoltaic cell (PV

cell) is a specialized semiconductor diode that converts visible light into direct current (DC).

Solar Powered Irrigation Pump Methods

So many methods have been developed to pump water with a minimum of effort and incorporate solar energy. These have utilized a variety of power sources, namely solar for an energy power generation. Solar irrigation pump systems are used principally for three applications:

•      Town and City Water Supply
•        Livestock Watering
•       Irrigation

A solar irrigation pump system methods need to take account of the fact that demand for irrigation water system will vary throughout the year. Peak demand during the irrigation system seasons is often more than twice the average demand. This means that solar pumps for irrigation are under-utilized for most of the year. Attention should be paid to the system of irrigation water distribution and application to the crops. The irrigation pump system should minimize water losses, without imposing significant additional head of the irrigation pumping system and be of low cost.

History of solar power irrigation systems

A revolution is taking place in how water is being pumped in remote locations beyond the reach of electric power lines. Solar-electric, or Photovoltaic, power has proven to be an ideal way to lift water for drinking, sanitation, stock tanks, and irrigation. Photovoltaic pumps have been on the market since 1980 and are in use all over the world.

It has been known for many years that some substances give off electrons when light strikes them and these electrons may be used to form a current. The development of photovoltaic (PV) technology began in 1955 and came of age in the 1980's. PV technology was initially regarded as "space age" because the use was limited to satellites, but in 1980 the cost was reduced by two-thirds making PV modules more affordable to the general public. PV technology is built on the solar cell. This small, paper-thin disc is made of silicon, an inert crystalline material refined from sand. Exposing the solar cell to sunlight causes electrons to jump from the positive to the negative side of the cell. Thus generating direct current. Solar cells are assembled into panels called modules. A solar panel will produce about 50 watts of power.

Installation cost

The installation of a solar pump with a capacity to lift around 5 lakh liters of water, sufficient to irrigate 15-20 acres, and other costs will require around Tk 35 lakh.
Lower maintenance costs, together with the 20 to 25 years of warranty, make the solar irrigation pumps attractive to farmers
A farmer has to pay Tk 1,000-Tk 3,000 for each bigha of land as irrigation charge for a crop season.

Rahimafrooz Renewable Energy Ltd (RRE) has introduced solar-powered irrigation system.

 The system will help save 760 megawatts (MW) power and 800 million liter diesel every year if the conventional power-and diesel-run irrigation pumps are converted into solar power ones.

Rahimafrooz has introduced the system through converting a 10HP diesel-run irrigation pump on solar power, which is owned by farmer Shaheen Ahmed of Kaishar Char under Savar in Dhaka district.

The system will supply water for irrigation of 20 acres of Boro rice field. It is the largest installation of its kind in Bangladesh from Rahimafrooz. It is a lifetime project with one single major investment as solar panels, the major part of the system is warranted for 20 years.

The company introduced solar water pump in 2004, pioneering the service in Bangladesh. Since then hundreds of beneficiaries are enjoying solar-based water pumping service for drinking and irrigation water.

During the Boro season, 120 million acre rice field in Bangladesh is irrigated by 1.33 million different types of water pumps, among which 87 are diesel operated requiring 800 million liter diesel per year. The government provides taka 5400 million cash subsidy on diesel operated water pumps. Seasonal crisis and price volatility of diesel are common hazards that are associated with diesel pump-based irrigation in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) gave Rahimafrooz the opportunity to demonstrate a large solar powered irrigation scheme for the Boro season.

The number of conventional pumps replaced by the solar pumps each year will save a significant amount of fossil fuel consumption as well as the government subsidy on these, which will not recur for the next 20 years.

Advantages of a Solar Pump

Solar-powered Water Systems are practical in flat terrain where the sun shines.

Solar-powered water pumps can be placed in or next to the pond or other source of water and the water can be pumped where it is needed.

Solar water pumping is clean and efficient.

Solar electric water pumping cuts down on waste because it's based on natural cycles. The panels give the most pumping power on the sunniest days-when need the most water.

Solar power is clean.  Not to worry about polluting the groundwater or air with a gas-powered pump.

Solar-powered water systems take very little maintenance because they only have a few moving parts. They have a long life---usually 20 to 40 years. And solar water systems never run out of fuel as long as the sun is shining.

Lower maintenance costs, together with the 20 to 25 years of warranty, make the solar irrigation pumps attractive to farmers

Benefits of using solar panel

Need no connection to the grid. 

Automatic operation, maintenance free.

Easy to install and move.

High universality.             

Clean and green.

High economic benefits.

Installation of solar irrigation pump will certainly help the country to save a huge amount of foreign currency.

Renewable, less production cost and carbon-free.

Current plan of solar irrigation pump

• The government of Bangladesh is planning to install close to 19,000 solar-powered irrigation pumps by 2016, in a bid to expand the country’s irrigated land area and boost food production, while limiting its reliance on fossil fuels.
• The initiative is being promoted as an environmentally friendly approach to improving food security for the country’s fast-growing population of 160 million.
• IDCOL in the offing to install 1,500 solar-powered irrigation pumps across Bangladesh by 2016.
• The new pumps, to be installed by the Infrastructure Development Company, will run on a combined 12 megawatts of power to be generated by solar panels, projected to save the government nearly Tk 65 crore on fuel-subsidy costs spreading across 20 years.
• The project will cost Tk 530 crore. IDCOL will finance Tk 370 crore: Tk 160 crore in soft loans and Tk 210 crore in grants to be provided by the World Bank, KWF and other donor agencies. The remaining Tk 160 crore will by provided by the equity participants.
• IDCOL is open to applications from interested parties and will review the proposals based on a number of criteria, such as financial capability, technical know-how and viability of the project.

IDCOL has already installed 51 pumps solar irrigation pumps in as many upazilas.
Bangladeshi farmers, at present, rely on some 266,000 electrically powered water pumps which consume around 1,300MW to irrigate 1.7 million hectares of land.
And during the peak growing season, a further 1.3 million diesel-run pumps, using up 900,000 tonnes of fuel, are operated to irrigate the additional 3.4 million hectares of land, data from Currently, the government provides around Tk 24-26 per liter of diesel as subsidy.

First ever solar irrigation pump in Bangladesh

A solar power irrigation pump has been set up at Mirjapur under Godagari upazila of the Rajshahi on May 09,2012 for the first time in the region aimed at boosting farm production.

The Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board set up the pump on an experimental basis by spending around Taka 40 lakh with the joint initiative of South Korea and Government of Bangladesh.

The solar system pump has the capacity to provide irrigation to 35 to 50 bigha of cropping land round the year.

Two more such types of pumps were also set up at Mohadevpur under the same upazila and at modanhati under Paba upazila of the Rajshahi.

24-piece solar module contains integrated energy of 720 volt and each of the pumps has five horse powers along with water discharging power of 300 liter per hour. Lifespan of the system has been set to 20 years.

On the contrary, the solar system power generation is a new idea, which is renewable, less production cost and carbon-free. As a whole, he attributed that the solar system has a significant contribution towards lessening the pressure on the gradually increasing power demands.

The farmers are no more depend on the mercy of rainwater for crop production if the solar irrigation system was successful. Around 35 to 50 bigha of land could be brought under crop farming in the area through using the modern technology.

Bright future seen for the Bangladeshi solar pump

The Renewable Energy Research Centre at Dhaka University has invented a low-cost solar water pump, which they hope will drastically reduce the cost of irrigation for farmers in Bangladesh.

The pump is highly cost effective and will allow farmers to irrigate more land for less money.

Possible to produce two-horsepower solar pumps in Bangladesh for  Tk 700,000, while in future six-horsepower could be available for Tk 2,000,000 and ten-horsepower for Tk 4,200,000.

Foreign made pumps cost up to six times that amount, and usually come with only a one-year guarantee. Diesel oil powered irrigation is much more expensive for farmers.

65 percent of the country's agricultural land was not adequately irrigated, and access to cheaper alternatives could bring about an agricultural revolution.

Bangladesh Bank (BB) governor inaugurates Solar irrigation in Barguna

Mutual Trust Bank, which funded the first ever solar pump for irrigation in the southern district of Barguna in July 2010 for Tk 34 lakh, has now set up nine such pumps.

Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Atiur Rahman inaugurates solar irrigation project at Kumarkhali-Fultala village in Barguna.The project is being implemented on 40 acres of land at a cost of Taka 38 lakh. Private organization Resource Development Foundation (RFD) is implementing the project. Mutual Trust Bank is financing the project while Rahim Afrooz providing the technical support.Eighty-three families will enjoy the benefit of the project that is expected to produce 140 metric tons of paddy

Project Location: Muradpur, Bogra , Bangladesh

Project Introduction: Bogra is a county in Rājshāhi, Bangladesh. It lies in the middle-north part of Bangladesh. The average annual rainfall in Bogra is 1 610mm, average temperature ranges from 11.9 °C to 34.6 °C. Agriculture is the main revenue source for local peasants. Lacking of water resource is the key factor which restrains the local agriculture, animal husbandry’s development because of the seasonal uneven rainfall.

Solution: Utilizes Solartech PS4000 solar  pumping system with 2 auto-tracking systems. The system can pump 600m³ per day with 12m dynamic water head, which provides the adequate irrigation conditions for economic crops such as rice, jute, tobacco etc. It also establishes the foundation for local solar agriculture development.

Economic Benefits: Solartech PS4000 solar  irrigation system annually generates 15 330 kWh. In its 25-year lifespan, the system can save standard coal 144 tons, reduction emission of CO₂60 tons, SO₂2.9tons, smoke 2.2 tons, lime ash 37.5 tons.

Solar-powered irrigation pump launched on 18^th October, 2009 at Caesar Char in Savar that will save 760MW of electricity and 800m liters of diesel in a year.

Initiative by Bangladesh Bank for solar irrigation pump.

•   The Bangladesh Bank (BB) launched the Tk 2.0 billion Green Banking Refinance Scheme in August 3, 2009 to fund renewable energy projects in the country that has been reeling under chronic power cut.
•   Agricultural Credit and Financial Inclusion Department of BB formulated Agriculture Credit and Rural credit policy and program for the FY-2012-2013,In 6.06.02 clause mentioned about the loan may be given to solar power irrigation pump.
•   The scheme was undertaken in line with the government's plan to meet 5.0 per cent of total electricity demand for greener energy by 2015 and 10 per cent by 2020.
• Despite the country's 24 state-owned and private commercial banks and a non-banking financial institution (NBFI) signed an agreement with BB to disburse the environment-friendly loan, only nine banks started disbursement.
  Some 28.5 per cent of the total amount has so far been distributed among the interested entrepreneurs under the key initiative.
•    BB sources said that the commercial banks would not be able to charge in addition to the interest rate from the clients in the name of any service charge.
•   Under the special scheme, banks and financial institutions can secure the credits at 5.0 per cent interest from the central bank.
•   BB is advising the banks to take out more loans from the revolving fund and finance the green and environmentally-friendly projects like a solar irrigation pump.

As the initial investment of solar irrigation systems is still not affordable by a single farmer, the government to take such projects through BADC, REB, LGED, PDB to initiate solar-based irrigation scheme.

The output of a solar pumping system is very dependent on good irrigation system design derived from accurate site and demand data. It is therefore essential that accurate assumptions are made regarding irrigation water demand/pattern of use and irrigation water availability including well yield and expected drawdown.