Performance Analysis and Economic Evaluation of Surface Irrigation Pumps Using Solar PV (Case Study)

Abstract

This study aims at evaluating performance of the solar powered surface irrigation pumps during field operation. The evaluation process was performed for four months from May to August 2016 where the measurements were conducted on El Afeer Mesqa Pumping Station, Behera Governorate. The results of the study indicate that the use of solar cells as energy source in lifting water achieves the purpose regularly and effectively. The research shows that the cost of the solar PV system is 64.2% of the cost of the diesel pump over a 10-year life cycle. The maximum power reached was at 12 p.m. and the pump motors are loaded more than four hours. The maximum overall efficiency of the pump system is appeared at 8.00 a.m. with value about 30% and continued for 8 hours with minimum efficiency about 12%. The overall efficiency starts to increase and reached to 20% at 4.00 p.m. due to the consumed power by electric motor is suitable for the amount of PV generated power at that time. The maximum overall efficiency is appeared in July and reached to 33.69% compared to the other months. The efficiency of the cells in the lowest case at the highest solar radiation and this is due to the sun radiation falling on them is very large compared to the capacity out of them. It is recommended to adopt the solar PV arrays of very small irrigation channel (Mesqas) pumping stations in future projects to save electric and diesel power.