Solar Photovoltaic Pumping System/Solar PV Electricity for Irrigation/Solar Photovoltaic Irrigation System in Bangladesh : www.reein.org

Solar Energy Programme

Solar Photovoltaic Pumping System in Bangladesh

Demonstration of Solar photovoltaic Pumping (SPV) for safe drinking water supply in remote rural area of Bangladesh ( UNDP supported)

Solar PV powered Submersible Water Pump in Chittagong Hill Districts

Solar Water pumping system at Prantik lake tourist resort under LGED

Solar-powered irrigation pump at Kaishar Char in Savar

Taping energy from solar light is an alternative option for power generation. Small and medium enterprises can harness Solar photovoltaic (SPV) electricity as an alternative option. Although solar photovoltaic(SPV) based power solution considered initially as costly solution but SPV based irrigation pump sets having good potentials to replace diesel and conventional grid power based pump sets. We already being experiencing the power cut and high fuel prices that hurdles the irrigation which essential for farming during hot and dry season.

Solar photovoltaic (SPV) based irrigation system in rural areas can save 1000MW power from conventional grid system. But government has to subsidize in marketing solar photovoltaic panel to make SPV system affordable to rural middleclass farmers.

There are 11,00,000 ( 11 lacs) irrigation (shallow/deep tube well) pump sets operating all over Bangladesh. Out of the total numbers 200,000 ( 2 lacs) are electric pump sets and rest of 900,000 ( 9 lacs) diesel engine based.

Electric pump sets yearly consume 800 to 1000MW power and diesel pump sets consume 800,000 to 900,000 metric tones of diesel. Unfortunately Power situation worsen during irrigation period( hot/dry) and rural area based irrigation pump sets remain inactive due to power cut. On the otherhand diesel price hike also hit the irrigation and agriculture farming but there is solution available with solar PV powered electricity to replace conventional system as environmentally friendly way. Things are possible with subsidy ( by government).

Our neighboring country India harnessing solar PV power for irrigation. A small size solar PV system cost goes to 500,000 Taka, but farmer’s in India only pay 72,000Tk rest of 428000 Taka being subsidized by government, that’s why solar PV beset pump sets becoming popular in India. This practice can be replicated here in Bangladesh. But government in the mean time looking for any private sector to come up and start the project as test/turnkey basis.

The need for diversification of the use of Solar PV For Water Pumping (SPV)

Bangladesh, by now, has built up a matured & replicable model for promoting Solar Home Systems (SHS), which has taken a self-sustaining routine course.
It is time that Bangladesh does justice also to other beneficial and diversified applications of the Solar PV, which could contribute to agricultural and rural developments
The Solar Photovoltaic Water Pumping (PVP) appears to to be a ‘high potential’ area which can achieve such goals

ASSESSMENT OF THE BANGLADESH POTENTIAL OF PVP

Bangladesh is an agro-based country and mechanized (diesel & electric) Irrigations are already playing key roles in her agriculture

There are over 1.15 million of small Low Lift Pumps (LLP), 100,000 Shallow Tube wells and about 37,000 Deep Tube-wells (DTW) in the country

About 85% of the Irrigation Pumps are based on Small Diesel Engines, only abt. 12.5% are Electric and about 2.5% are both (electric + diesel)

Figure : Mechanized Irrigation of Primary/Secondary Commercial Energy

Bangladesh consumes over 2 million mt/yr. of import based high-speed diesel (HSD), out of which about 800,000 mt/yr. (40%) goes for irrigation in agro-sector

the demand for electric power is fast outstripping its supply, making the grid highly unreliable

even if 1% of small diesel pumps could be replaced by pvp, it would mean an annual national saving of about us $ 9 million/yr. the real economic cost of HSD is tk 65/litre, (tk 33.33/litre is a subsidized price).

supplementing even 1% of conventional electric power pumps with solar pvp would mean relieving the rural electric grid by about 10 - 15 mw load
(equivalent to the capacity of a small power stn.)

Technical Aspects - The Components of a Solar Photovoltaic Pump (SPV)

The Solar PV Panels, arranged in the form of an
Array (fixed or foldable, with hinges)
An Inverter, if AC Pump is used
A built-in max. Power Controller
A long-life and variable voltage/speed DC/AC Motor-Pump System : Types (i) Submersible (ii) Floating for SW & (iii) Mono-submersible Pumps (for DTW)
A suitably sized long electric Cable to connect the Pump with the PV Array Solar Power System
A Mounting Structure for PV Array, which may
be mobile (on frame & tyres) or fixed (e.g. DTW)

Demonstration of solar pump for rice irrigation in Kaishar Char, Vakurta, Savar, BANGLADESH

Solar-powered irrigation pump at Kaishar Char in Savar

Configuration of Solar-powered irrigation pump at Kaishar Char in Savar

First ever solar-powered irrigation pump launched yesterday at Kaishar Char in Savar that will save 760MW of electricity and 800m litter of diesel in a year.

Channel I Director Shaikh Siraj and Rahimafrooz Renewable Energy Ltd Chairman Niaz Rahim jointly inaugurated solar-powered irrigation pump.

Rahimafrooz has introduced the solar-power irrigation system through converting a 10HP diesel-run irrigation pump on solar power.

The system will save 760MW of electricity and 800 million litre of diesel per year if the conventional power and diesel-run irrigation pumps are converted on solar power, speakers at inaugural function said.

Chairman of Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC)Dr Nazmul Hossain, German Technical Co-operation (GTZ) senior adviser Khurshid-ul-Islam and Program Coordinator of (GTZ) Erich Otto Gomm were present in the programme.

It is a lifetime project with one single major investment as solar panels, the major part of the system is warranted for 20 years, Niaz Rahim said.

Around 500,000 households are already enjoying the comfort solar home systems designed by Rahimafrooz, he said.

Such projects will also earn significant CDM benefits from world carbon trading market as such schemes are completely emission free, he hoped.

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

Scope of solar irrigation in Bangladesh

Optimum use of solar water pumping can solve Bangladesh’s irrigation problem.

It can make farmers the owners of his own irrigation hence, building capacity as well as ensuring adequate supply.

It can reduce electricity demand.

It can make farmers independent of fuel carrying hassle.

improving countrywide load shedding situation in peak season!

It can save significant amount of diesel per year, hence reducing subsidy on diesel based irrigation system.

Technology

Surface/Submersible pumping

10 to 500 ft operational head

Adaptability in any place

Adaptability with any crop (BORO, AMON, Mustard, vegetables, Mazes, wheat, sugarcane, potatoes, etc.)

Available in various capacity ranging from 10,000Lpd to 5,00,000Lpd
Flooded/drip irrigation

No recurring cost

Quiet operation

No/minimum maintenance

Environment friendly

Extremely reliable

Robust application

Optimum irrigation

Scope of solar irrigation in Bangladesh

During 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.