Energy Scheduling Using Decision Trees and Emulation: Agriculture Irrigation with Run-of-the-River Hydroelectricity and a PV Case Study

Abstract

Agriculture is the very backbone of every country. Unfortunately, agricultural sustainability is threatened by the lack of energy-efficient solutions. The threat becomes more evident with the constantly growing world population. The research community must, therefore, focus on resolving the problem of high energy consumption. This paper proposes a model of energy scheduling in agricultural contexts. Greater energy efficiency is achieved by means of PV (photovoltaics) and hydropower, as demonstrated in the conducted case study. The developed model is intended for contexts where the farm is located near a river, so the farmer can use the flowing water to produce energy. Moreover, the model has been emulated using a variety of state-of-the-art laboratory devices. Optimal energy scheduling is performed via a decision tree approach, optimizing the use of energy resources and reducing electricity costs. Finally, a realistic scenario is presented to show the technical features and the practical behaviors of each emulator when adapting the results of the decision tree. The research outcomes demonstrate the importance of the technical validation of each model. In addition, the results of the emulation reveal practical issues that had not been discovered during the theoretical study or during the simulation.