Solar Photovoltaic Pump-operated Micro-irrigation Systems: A Comprehensive Review

Abstract

Increasing energy scarcity has compelled the agricultural and energy engineers to look for alternative renewable energy sources to sustain irrigated agriculture. Among the renewable energy options available for irrigation, adoption of solar photovoltaic (PV) energy is growing at faster rate all around the world. Also, the micro-irrigation (MI) system is widely accepted as the most efficient irrigation method. Integrated application of solar PV and MI system is one of the most energy- and water-efficient solution to agriculture, and is gaining popularity among the farmers. However, the intermittent supply of power from the solar PV system hinders the performance of directly connected MI system. It demands additional costly energy and water storage options for hassle-free operation. Systematic integration of PV and MI system is required to avoid storage options and to meet energy and water demand of crops for universal agricultural applications. This manuscript is an attempt to present a comprehensive review of literature reported in this area in the past two decades.