Socio-Economic and Environmental Analyses of Solar Irrigation Systems for Sustainable Agricultural Production

Abstract

Solar irrigation is a climate mitigation technology to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in agricultural production. Despite its potential, small-scale farmers are unable to afford photovoltaic (PV) systems and resort to using the traditional diesel-powered pumps for irrigation. This study aims to analyze the social, economic, and environmental aspects of introducing solar irrigation systems from the perspective of small-scale farmers in developing countries. Applying socio-economic and environmental analyses to the case of the Philippines, the study found the environmental benefits of solar irrigation in terms of the reduction in GHG emissions of up to 26.5 tons CO2eq/ha/year and the avoidance of emissions of air pollutants such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, and particulate matter. The energy savings between 11.36 and 378.54 L/ha of diesel per year resulted in a range of −USD 1255/ha to USD 68,582/ha net present value, 30% to 2958% with an average of 315% returns on investment, and 0.3 to 30 years payback period with an average of 2.88 years. Regardless of the low awareness of environmental sustainability, most farmers were interested to invest in solar irrigation systems with 69% social acceptance, while the 26% were not interested as they consume a minimal amount of fuel and cannot recover the high investment from the cost savings. This study provided policy recommendations to make solar irrigation accessible to small-scale farmers as well as broader implications to make the agricultural sector more sustainable.