Economic feasibility of large scale PV water pumping applications utilizing real field data for a case study in Jordan

*Ibrahim Odeh  -  The Water, Energy and Environment Center, The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan
Published: 15 Jul 2014.
Open Access

Citation Format:
Article Info
Section: Original Research Article
Language: EN
In Vol 3, No 2 (2014): July 2014
Statistics: 625 936
Abstract

Economic viability of photovoltaic, diesel and grid connected water pumping systems is investigated and compared for system capacities in the range 1500 m4/day to 100,000 m4/day. Actual performance data from installed systems are considered in calculating systems outputs for base case scenarios. Sensitivity analysis is carried out to generalize results for other locations and conditions. Several scenarios of the effect of variation electricity tariffs, components prices, diesel fuel prices, operation cost and interest rate on the output water unit cost (US$/1000m4)  are investigated.  Breakeven points of PV pumping systems are determined at certain input parameters.

Keywords: PV water pumping; water unit cost; economic feasibility; interest rate; equivalent hydraulic energy

Article Metrics:

  1. Barlow, R., McNeils, B. and Derrick, A. (1993) Solar pumping: an introduction and update on the technology, performance, costs, and economics. World Bank Technical Paper No. 168. Intermediate Technology Publications and the World Bank, Washington D.C, USA.
  2. Brandt, O. (2001) The potential for solar water pumping for community water supply in Zululand, South Africa, Reprt. Department of Geography and Geoinformatics, University of Pretoria, South Africa.
  3. Firatoglu, Z. and Yesilata, B. (2004) New approaches on the optimization of directly coupled PV pumping systems. Solar Energy, 77, 81-93.
  4. Hammad, M. (1995) Photovoltaic, wind and diesel: a cost comparative study of water pumping options in Jordan. Energy Policy, 23, 723–726.
  5. IT Power (1984) Handbook on solar water pumping. Intermediate Technology Power in association with Sir William Halcrow & Partners, UNDP-World Bank project GLO/08/003, Reading and Swindon, UK.
  6. Kou, Q., Klein, A. and Beckman, A. (1998) A method for estimating the long-term performance of direct-coupled PV pumping systems. Solar Energy, 64, 33-40.
  7. Lasnier, F. and Ang, T. (1990) Photovoltaic Engineering Handbook, Asian Institute of Technology, ICP Publishing Ltd, Bangkok, Thailand.
  8. Odeh I., Modelling, Field Data Analysis and Economics of Photovoltaic Water Pumps and the Prospects for integrating Desalination Using Reverse Osmosis. PhD Thesis.University of Ulster, UK. August, 2005
  9. I. Odeh, YG. Yohanis, B. Norton: Economic Viability of Photovoltaic Water Pumping Systems. Solar Energy Journal, 80, 850-860, 2006
  10. Posorski, R. (1996) Photovoltaic water pumps: an attractive tool for rural drinking water supply. Solar Energy, 58, 155-163.
  11. Posorski, R. and Haars, K., 1994. The Economics of Photovoltaic Pumping Systems. German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GTZ) GmbH, Eschborn, Germany.
  12. Short, T. and Oldach, R., 2003. Solar powered water pumps: the past the present-and the future?. Journal of Solar Energy Engineering, 125, 76-82.
  13. Whitfield, G., Bentley, R. and Burton, J. (1995) Increasing the cost-effectiveness of small solar photovoltaic water pumping system. Renewable Energy, 6, 483-486.
  14. World Bank (2002) Water sanitation and hygiene, water for health, world water day, at a glance. Also available at: www.worldbank.org/html/fpd/energy/subenergy/solar/water_pumping (accessed: February, 2005).

No citation recorded.

The Authors submitting a manuscript do so on the understanding that if accepted for publication, copyright of the article shall be assigned to International Journal of Renewable Energy Development and Center of Biomass and Renewable Energy, Department of Chemical Engineering Diponegoro University as publisher of the journal.

Copyright encompasses exclusive rights to reproduce and deliver the article in all form and media, including reprints, photographs, microfilms and any other similar reproductions, as well as translations. The reproduction of any part of this journal, its storage in databases and its transmission by any form or media, such as electronic, electrostatic and mechanical copies, photocopies, recordings, magnetic media, etc. , will be allowed only with a written permission from International Journal of Renewable Energy Development and Center of Biomass and Renewable Energy, Department of Chemical Engineering Diponegoro University.

International Journal of Renewable Energy Development and Center of Biomass and Renewable Energy, Department of Chemical Engineering Diponegoro University, the Editors and the Advisory International Editorial Board make every effort to ensure that no wrong or misleading data, opinions or statements be published in the journal. In any way, the contents of the articles and advertisements published in the International Journal of Renewable Energy Development are sole and exclusive responsibility of their respective authors and advertisers.