Demand for energy in the agriculture sector has increased significantly to meet the needs of a growing population and an increasing demand for food. This demand along with the need for powering agricultural equipment like pumps, generators, motors, tillers, etc. calls for an alternative energy source that can decrease the dependency on fossil fuels and conventional energy.
As per an article from InTechOpen, agriculture has been one of the most evolving, and promising industries for the adoption of new reforms and technologies. Many countries like US, Australia and China have already started to promote the use of renewable energy sources for different applications in agriculture.
While the adoption of solar energy is just underway, there are many promising advancements in recent times that are levelling up solar energy as a powerful and promising source of power for many agricultural applications.
In this article, we will discuss the usage of solar energy in the agricultural industry, its feasibility, applications, and adoption.
Solar energy for agriculture
Solar energy is a very important source of renewable energy that is available in abundance as compared to any other resource. The large magnitude of solar energy available makes it highly appealing for different applications across diverse verticals such as residential homes, industrial, manufacturing, agriculture, technology, etc.
Interesting Read: Here is why solar energy will change the way we power homes in the future
The use of solar energy can be a revolutionary advancement for the agricultural sector, by adding value in many ways like saving precious water resources, reducing dependency on the grid, saving power costs in the long run and even becoming an additional revenue stream.
Although solar energy implementation in the agricultural sector has been practiced since the beginning of civilization, there is a surge in demand for the use of this energy source in wider applications across different functions.
Agricultural applications of solar energy
The cost of implementing and managing solar energy setup has decreased due to advancements in the industry, enabling more installations across different applications in the agricultural sector. Some of them include -
- Solar Energy-Powered Water Pumps
In many places where electric supply might be limited or not available, solar water pumps are lifesavers. Solar pumps use solar energy and pump water from reservoirs, and canals to the farms which would save hours of time for farmers.
Here solar panels are employed to harness the solar energy and using inverters, DC power is supplied to the power grid or stored in batteries. This power will be used efficiently to run the pumps to supply water.
- Water and Space Heating
Livestock and dairy operations have specific space and water heating requirements around the year at different seasons. Since, in most cases, cattle farming is done in closed structures, the temperature and air quality are vital for operations. Solar power is used to manage this around the year.
By employing a solar-powered heating system, farmers can easily save costs incurred on electricity bills. These systems use solar panels that effectively power the temperature control systems as required.
- Crop and Grain Drying
Using sunlight to dry crops and grains is one of the oldest applications of solar energy used by farmers. While this is a completely free, viable method that can easily be employed, it has a risk of exposing the crops to the wind, rodents, impurities, etc. contaminating them.
With advancements in technology today, there are solar dryers that can help in harnessing maximum solar energy and concentrating it in a closed container where trays are used to dry the produce. These systems will also help in accelerating the process and reducing the time required.
- Green House Heating
Greenhouse heating is essential for the proper growth of certain crops and plants. Commercial greenhouses use sunlight for lighting and not for heating. Mostly, they depend on oil and gases for maintaining the required temperatures.
Solar green housing heating systems are used to feature both the lighting and heating that is required. A solar greenhouse has a solar panel to collect the energy and batteries to store the energy. It also has insulation that will help in retaining heat during cold days and nights.
- Remote Supply of Electricity
Farms might be located in remote areas where the electricity supply is limited and farmers may constantly face issues related to power outages and shortages for running their equipment, and tools on the farms.
Solar PV systems are employed in the farms to produce the required electricity that is stored in the batteries and used when required. This not only helps in reducing the power consumption from the electricity supply but also saves money for farmers in the long run.
- Solar-powered cooling systems
In many cases, farmers face huge losses due to the lack of availability of proper refrigeration and cooling systems in their farms. Even if they have a refrigeration system, it becomes very difficult to power them all day with constant power cuts and outages. Solar-powered cooling systems will help in tackling this problem.
The refrigeration systems used will have a continuous supply of power from the batteries hooked to the solar panels where the power is supplied directly in the morning and the backup power stored is supplied during the night.
Benefits of using solar power in the agriculture sector
- Saves costs incurred in power and electricity in the long run
- Continuous supply of uninterrupted power in many cases
- Use of renewable energy sources
- Availability of power systems locally, even in remote locations
- Easy management of power usage
The feasibility of using solar panels depends from place to place and their efficiency relies on many environmental conditions. So, understanding this beforehand is very important for any farmer to avoid losses due to poor analysis.
Conclusion:
Demand for electricity in agriculture is one of the largest asks for India’s power sector as irrigation systems, motors, and temperature control systems are largely undeveloped.
Farmers are dependent on electricity to power their pumps and other equipment. With the increasing demand and the expensive ordeal involved in producing electricity using conventional methods, it would be very difficult for both the energy sector and small-time farmers to sustain themselves in the long run.
Solar power can be an optimal option to meet this demand and generate the power at the source to run multiple applications that are dependent on electric supply from the electricity board today.
With the right implementation, a solar energy setup can be very rewarding in the long run. Renewable energy and the agriculture sector can be a winning combination that can solve many problems that we face today. It can also be a new channel that can help in improving the quality of agricultural yields, cutting overhead costs and improving the efficiency of agricultural processes.
References
Wikipedia Solar energy
Wikipedia Greenhouse effect
Intechopen Solar Technology in Agriculture
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