Prospects of Solar Pump for Irrigation and Household Applications for Climate Resilience in the Coastal Region of Bangladesh

Abstract

Bangladesh is a climate vulnerable and agricultural country. Coastal region of Bangladesh is severely affected by climate change. To mitigate climate, change a solar pump of flow rate 180 liter per minute was designed and tested in farmers’ fields of Kalapara and Galachipa Upazila (sub-district) of Patuakhali district, Barguna Sadar and Amtali Upazila of Barguna district and Char Fasson and Lalmohon Upazila of Bhola district in the coastal region of Bangladesh for irrigating in high value crops like tomato and brinjal using pond/canal water. One solar pump was installed in each Upazila of off-grid area in 2018 and experiments were conducted during 2018-2021. Each solar pump was operated with 1300 Wp photovoltaic panels and the panels were also used for supplying electricity to home appliances and home water supply when the irrigation time was over. In farmers’ fields, water saving irrigation methods such as drip irrigation and alternate furrow irrigation were conducted. The water savings from drip and alternate furrow irrigation methods over famers’ practice (every furrow irrigation) for tomato were 48.79% and 30.39% and those for brinjal were 47% and 35%, respectively. The benefit cost ratio of the demonstrated solar PV system was found to be 1.62 which was higher than low lift diesel pump (1.30). A small solar pump of 0.8 kW reduced 1.76 ton of carbon emission per year than a similar diesel engine operated pump. The farmers in the project areas are using the solar panels for irrigation, lightings, operating fans, supplying drinking water, sanitation and other purposes. Therefore, solar pump is an environment friendly and climate resilient technology with multiple benefits for small holder farmers in the coastal region of Bangladesh.