The Benefits and Risks of Solar Powered Irrigation - FAO

The Benefits and Risks of Solar Powered Irrigation - FAO


1. Introduction



1.1 BACKGROUND



Agriculture is the single largest employer in the world, sustaining the livelihoods of 40 percent
of the world’s population, many of whom continue to live in poverty (United Nations, 2015).



Irrigation is among the measures that can improve yields, reduce vulnerability to changing
rainfall patterns and enable multiple cropping practices (FAO, 2011). As such, irrigation is often
seen as the engine that helps to ensure food security, generates incomes, provides jobs and
drives rural development.



Energy is a key input for irrigation services.
As investment costs for solar powered irrigation systems (SPIS) are coming down and subsidy
schemes for SPIS are being rolled out, solar technologies are becoming a viable option for
both large and small-scale farmers. SPIS provide reliable and affordable energy, potentially
reducing energy costs for irrigation. In rural areas where diesel fuel is expensive or where
reliable access to the electricity grid is lacking, they can provide a relatively flexible and climate friendly alternative energy source. SPIS can be used in large-scale irrigation systems as well as
for decentralized, small-scale irrigation.
Some countries are promoting SPIS in the framework of national action plans regarding climate
change as a way to reduce emissions from agriculture. The operation of solar pumps does not
produce any greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Life cycle assessments of SPIS, accounting for
emissions in a cradle-to-grave scenario, indicate a potential reduction in GHG emissions per
unit of energy used for water pumping (CO2-eq/kWh) of 95 to 97 percent as compared with
pumps operated with grid electricity (global average energy mix) and 97 to 98 percent as
compared with diesel pumps (GIZ, 2016).
Nevertheless, it is important to note that SPIS – if not adequately managed and regulated –
bear the risk of supporting unsustainable water use. Once the systems are installed, there is no
cost per unit of power and thus no financial incentive for farmers to save on fuel or electricity
for water pumping. This can lead to wasteful water use, over-abstraction of groundwater, and
low field application efficiency. In some cases, farmers sell water to their neighbours at a profit,
increasing the overall water withdrawals. Recognizing the water-related risks and addressing
those from the beginning – especially in the financing and design stages – will be crucial to
ensure the sustainable use of SPIS technology.



In light of the rapid expansion of SPIS, there is an opportunity to not simply introduce a
clean, climate-smart and innovative energy technology, but to think strategically about how
this technology can be used to encourage more sustainable use of groundwater resources,
to create more inclusive finance and management structures and to foster more integrated
thinking about solutions around the water-energy-food nexus.



1.2 GROWING INTEREST IN SOLAR POWERED IRRIGATION SOLUTIONS



There is a growing interest in solar-powered irrigation solutions around the world, noticeable
in the increasingly frequent requests from agricultural institutions in developing countries for
installation, finance and training. In May 2015, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the
2 The benefits and risks of solar-powered irrigation - A global overview
United Nations (FAO) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit
(GIZ) GmbH hosted an exploratory workshop to better understand the potential of SPIS
for developing countries. Representatives from 19 countries shared their experiences with
solar pumping technologies – from large to small-scale, from tropical to arid climate zones, for
vegetable gardens, orchards and livestock watering, using surface and groundwater.
It became clear that there was a need to synthesize these experiences and to respond to
the issues, questions and needs that were raised during the workshop.



What are the real
costs and benefits of SPIS compared with other technologies?

What rules, regulations and
policies are needed to manage the risks and realize the potential of SPIS?

What are viable
business models for SPIS?

How can smallholders benefit from SPIS technology?

How can
the risk of groundwater depletion be addressed effectively?

How can SPIS help to empower
women and promote gender equity?

What types of capacity development programmes are
needed to support farmers, extension workers, local private sectors and others?

What are the
opportunities for knowledge exchange and technology transfer?



FAO and GIZ decided to follow up on these questions with a global project that is part of the
“Powering Agriculture: An Energy Grand Challenge for Development” (PAEGC) initiative.



The
overall aim of the project is to:

(i) learn from good practices around the world;

(ii) foster policy
dialogue across sectors on topics such as finance, green jobs and groundwater management; and

(iii) support the responsible use of SPIS through training and improved advisory services.



This
report is one of the outputs of this project.
Drawing on the experiences in different countries and projects, this report seeks to give a
state-of-the art overview of historic and current trends in solar pumping technologies and to
explore different approaches to promoting, regulating and managing SPIS.



The report is based
on an online survey, personal, telephone and Skype interviews, site visits to India, Kenya and
Ethiopia, and an extensive literature review.



1.3 METHODOLOGY



1.3.1 Literature Research



A wealth of reports, case studies, product information, websites and published papers exists
on solar-powered irrigation. A systematic overview was obtained and the most important
information used is listed in the references. Several reports dating from several years back
are no longer relevant, as the SPIS sector is changing rapidly due to increasing efficiency and
decreasing investment costs in the last years. Different configurations of systems are now
possible that were not considered previously, and many innovations and technical advances
have been made.



1.3.2 Online survey



An online survey was developed to source information and to obtain a general overview of
experiences with SPIS around the world.



The survey was designed in English and French and
made available on a dedicated website. It was structured in three parts:

• Information on the person responding to the survey;

• Country-specific information on SPIS;

• Information on an SPIS case study.



1. Introduction

The link to the survey was sent to 156 people by e-mail. The recipients were people already
working with SPIS technologies, including government staff, private sector actors, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and researchers. Among the people contacted were
the participants in a FAO-GIZ workshop on the potential of solar-powered irrigation in May
2015. Other recipients were identified in relevant online forums and through intensive Internet
research. The people contacted received a short explanation about the context, purpose and
content of the survey and a link to the questionnaire. It was sent out on 5 April 2017 with an
initial deadline of 24 April 2017, later extended to 1 May 1 2017.
Statistics on the background and responses of the survey participants can be found in Figure
2. Answers to the questionnaire varied in length and degree of completion. Participants were
encouraged to reply to only the questions relevant to them. Overall, 54 individuals responded
to the survey – i.e. 35 percent of those contacted.
Figure 1
Answers to the questionnaire were received from these countries
ASIA
Bangladesh 2.04%
China 2.04%
India 6.12%
Lebanon 2.04%
Nepal 4.08%
United Arab Emirates 2.04%
AFRICA
Egypt 2.04%
Ethiopia 4.08%
Ghana 2.04%
Kenya 16.33%
Lesotho 2.04%
Morocco 4.08%
Senegal 10.20%
South Africa 2.04%
Tunisia 2.04%
Zimbabwe 4.08%
Chile 2.04%
USA 2.04%
AMERICA
EUROPE
Belgium 2.04%
Denmark 2.04%
Germany 12.24%
Italy 4.08%
Netherlands 2.04%
Sweden 2.04%
Other 4.08%
4 The benefits and risks of solar-powered irrigation - A global overview
Relevant information was received from the questionnaire responses, coming from 25
countries. The sample is not (and was not intended to be) representative. Most of the people
answering the survey were technical experts, technical advisors and trainers, as well as heads
of departments and project managers; 15 percent of them were female.
• 73 percent confirmed that their respective countries had government programmes and
policies to promote small-scale irrigation.
• 71 percent stated that their respective countries had programmes or policies on adapting
agricultural water management to climate change.
• Only 46 percent said there were specific regulations limiting groundwater abstraction for
irrigation purposes.
Regarding financial support for SPIS:
• 67 percent said that there are (financial) institutions that provide loans (and subsidies) for
solar-powered irrigation.
• 53 percent described significant sector investments or public-private-par tnerships for SPIS
in their countries.
Regarding the experience with SPIS:
• 55 percent strongly agreed that the performance of the SPIS they were describing was
good; 45 percent agreed.
• 52 percent strongly agreed that there were significant positive changes in agricultural
productivity after the installation of SPIS; 48 percent agreed.
• 47 percent strongly agreed that changes in income were significant after the installation
of SPIS; 43 percent agreed and 10 percent disagreed.
Servicing challenges for system repairs over the long term were seen by 31 percent; only 21
percent said that repair costs were high.
As expected, the degree of relevant and useable information varied. Those respondents who
provided contact details were contacted to solicit missing information.



1.3.3 Interviews



Twenty-five people engaged in research, development and/or implementation of SPIS were
interviewed in person or by Skype/phone. During visits to Kenya, Ethiopia and India, people
working with SPIS were also interviewed. Two smallholder farms in Kenya with solar-powered
irrigation and drip irrigation were visited, as well as a supplier of SPIS. This helped to put
the results of the online survey, as well as the interviews and the literature research, into
perspective. A training course at one of the solar pump manufacturers’ development centres
supported the better understanding of technological challenges as well as the significant
advances made during the last years.



LINK