June 2025 |Energy Nexus |Volume 18
Introduction: Agricultural irrigation is becoming increasingly costly and carbon-intensive as farms continue to rely on grid electricity and diesel-powered pumping. While solar-powered irrigation offers a cleaner alternative, standalone systems often generate large amounts of unused electricity when solar production does not align with irrigation demand. Mokhtare and Keysan addressed this challenge by developing a grid-connected DC agricultural microgrid that integrates solar PV, battery storage, an electric water pump, household electricity demand, and an elevated water reservoir. A Water-Energy Management System (WEMS) coordinates electricity use, water storage, and irrigation timing, while also considering battery degradation and temperature constraints to reduce unnecessary water evaporation.
Key findings: Using real farm data from Ankara, Türkiye, the researchers found that the optimized system—combining a 6 kWp PV array, 7.5 kWh battery, and 20 m³ water reservoir—could fully meet irrigation demand while reducing the Levelized Cost of Energy from USD 401 to USD 223/MWh, a 44% decrease. Solar energy supplied 76.69% of the farm’s energy needs, while wasted solar electricity fell by 62.4% compared with a standalone solar pumping system. The results also showed that solar pumping alone is not necessarily economical: integrating nearby electrical loads and battery storage allows farms to use surplus solar power more effectively while maintaining reliable irrigation.
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Content adapted from Mokhtare and Keysan | Image reproduced from Mokhtare and Keysan.
