Solar Energy in Powering Agriculture

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Overview

This page shall serve as an overview page of articles, studies, publications etc. relating to solar energy within the energy agriculture nexus. Solar energy plays an important part for agricultural production and processing, such as irrigation, cooling and drying.


Solar Drying

In many developing countries large quantities of fruits and vegetables spoil due to inadequate infrastructure, insufficient processing capacities, and growing marketing difficulties caused by intensifying competition and protectionism in the worldwide agricultural markets. Up to 70 per cent of agricultural products spoil during the traditional process of open-air drying, especially in tropical and subtropical regions.[1][2]

Drying these products can help solve these problems, while also making an important contribution to improving the population's income and supply situation.
Drying is an important form of food preservation that is often carried out at farm level right after harvest, or especially with highly perishable crops, at peak harvest time when local markets are saturated. Drying vegetables, fruits and meat with thermal energy enables longer storage times and easier transportation. Up to 70 per cent of agricultural products spoil during the traditional process of open-air drying, especially in tropical and subtropical regions[1]. For more information please see here.

Solar Powered Irrigation

Solar energy presents a huge potential for agricultural irrigation. Experience from past projects has proven photovoltaic pumping systems to be technically mature and suitable for utilization in rural areas of developing countries.


Solar Cooling

Cooling and refrigeration is essential in agricultural production and processing, e.g. for preserving food products. It generally is a very energy-intensive process. Solar powered cooling presents an important clean energy opportunity, particularly in rural areas without access to the national grid, but also for other processors. For more information please see here.


Business Models for PV in Agriculture

The study "Enabling PV in the MENA Region - The emerging PV market in Tunisia" analyses four cases, showing that any photovoltaic system installed in Tunisia is amortised during their 20-year project duration, and this no matter what market segment is concerned. Two of those business models apply to the agricultural sector.

Fnd ths study here.


Specific Publications

  • Solar PV-diesel hybrid business planning: This publication by GIZ provides a systematic approach to asses and develop solar PV-diesel hybrid applications - in general, but also within the agricultural and food industry. The document contains a checklist for the major parameters related to the development of technically feasible and economically viable SPV-hybrid business cases for power generation in off-grid areas. For each of these parameters, this checklist presents general specifications and critical issues/recommendations, which should be taken into consideration. Please see Table 2 “Business planning checklist” on page 8 of the document.


References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 INNOTECH – Ingenieuresgesellschaft mbH. Retrieved from: http://innotech-ing.com/en/
  2. ↑ Solar Drying. Retrieved from: https://energypedia.info/wiki/Solar_Drying


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