How Eritrea used solar energy to solve irrigation issues
By: Times Reporter
- *Published:* October 09, 2015
-
[image: photo]
Farming community in Eritrea benefiting from solar pumping system. (Image
credit: www.tesfanews.net)
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Farming communities in Eritrea might have just caught a break with a new
solar powered irrigation system
<
http://www.hdvisualinternational.com/?page_id=42> courtesy of Visual
Direct International, one of the frontrunners in energy management
solutions.
Low production of oil, decreased imports, along with the high prices, all
have been detrimental to the country’s farmlands as conventional pumps for
irrigation require diesel, but thanks to the innovative team that installed
the stationary array in the Mono Sun-Sub pumping system, fuel and
electrical power are no longer necessary for water management on the Mereb
River banks.
Now the surrounding communities have access to around 100,000 litres of
water per day, travelling more than 228 metres from a 7.3 metre-deep well
to a concrete surface reservoir.
Since the system does not run on fuel, it can be configured to
automatically operate. This is done by using either a pressure kit, a
built-in electronic control or the float switches. The Sun-Sub is wired to
conserve water and keep the pump from wearing out, so once storage vessels
have reached their maximum capacity, the system is programmed to turn off
and then turn back on when the vessels start emptying out.
Although diesel irrigation pumps tend to have lower installation costs,
Providence Trade explains that solar pumping systems are cost-effective in
the long run <
http://providencetrade.com/compare-solar-to-diesel-pumps/> as
ongoing operation and maintenance costs are very low.
Farmers will be able to cut their costs while maintaining steady access to
clean water, potentially opening them up to new opportunities for income
generation by planting crops that rely heavily on hydration.
Shortages in diesel have been occurring all over Africa as evidenced by the
constant blackouts, and are currently threatening countries in other
regions, such as OPEC contender Brazil and oil-rich Iraq, which has
recently welcomed an industrial oil and gas solutions provider
<
http://www.iraq-businessnews.com/2015/06/23/unaoil-joins-ibbc/> as a new
member of the Iraq
British Business Council.
But trouble seems to be lurking these petroleum paradises as they fall
below their expected output
<
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/01/business/output-cuts-in-brazil-and-iraq-augur-risks-of-oil-shortage.html?_r=0>
to meet their 2020 goal of 4.5 million bpd. Petrobas in Brazil cut
production by 1.4 million bpd and major oil players in Iraq are under
negotiations for more realistic targets.
Received on Thu Oct 08 2015 - 22:56:05 EDT