Solar pump sets to bail out villagers from water crisis

Solar pump sets to bail out villagers from water crisis

Solar pump sets to bail out villagers from water crisis

Several remote villages in the district are facing acute drinking water shortage during the summer. To overcome water crisis, the Rural Water Supply (RWS) officials are fixing solar powered pump sets to the hand pumps for filling a 5,000 litre capacity synthetic tank. These motors can also run on conventional power.

 The tanks are set up at a height of 6 meters so that people can draw the water. Under the new scheme launched by the central government, the state was sanctioned 857 solar pump sets in which 50 units worth Rs 2.4 crore have been allocated to the Kadapa district. 

According to the RWS officials, arrangements are being made to ensure that water is not wasted. There will be a sensor in the tank and once it gets filled, the motor gets switched off automatically. “The objective is not only to provide drinking water to the people in remote villages but also do it in a smart way.

 Thus, the defunct hand pumps across the district will get revived once the solar pump sets are fixed,” a RWS official said. “It is a revolutionary step that will supply water, prevent wastage, save energy and harness solar power. Measures are on to implement this scheme across the district very soon,” said RWS Superintending Engineer Sanjeeva Rao.

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Solar water pumps gain popularity in remote villages

Solar water pumps gain popularity in remote villages

Solar water pumps gain popularity in remote villages

JAIPUR Water pumps run on solar energy are increasingly becoming popular among farmers in the remote corners of Rajasthan, where electricity supply is erratic.

The development aims to benefit both the farmers and the government in more ways than one. While the farmers will no longer have to depend on the erratic power supply, the discoms (power distribution companies) can also breathe easy as cases of power theft and non-payment of bills will automatically go down.

“Farmers are increasingly showing interest in installing solar pumps. The number of farmers who installed the pumps have risen nearly threefold this year as compared to last year despite reduction in subsidy,” horticulture department director V P Singh said.

They get a subsidy of 60% from the government, of which 30% comes from Union government and the rest is borne by the state government. The popularity of the solar power pumps shows that the government move to reduce subsidy from 66% to 60% failed to make a cut with the villagers.

The state government has installed 28,493 solar power pumps in Rajasthan in the last seven years. Of that 4,252 pumps have been installed in Bikaner, followed by 3,683 in Jaipur.

Solar pump is also cost effective. A 3hp (horsepower) diesel pump consumes 2.5 litres diesel in one hour and farmers run it for about eight hours. Officials said that farmers are also getting better prices for their produce. Earlier, they had to promise their harvest upfront to pay for the fuel, sometimes even agreeing to low prices for their crops.

One negative aspect, however, is tendency of farmers to waste water as the cost of pumping the water is free. Officials said that the government is promoting drip irrigation to curb wastage of water.

Solar water pumps come with a capacity of 1 to 5 hp and cost anything between Rs 1,00,000 and Rs5,00,000, including installation and maintenance for the first five years.

The state government has set a target of installing 10,000 solar pumps in 2017-18.

More info: Solar water pumps gain popularity in remote villages

Solar powered water pump reaches pure water to Lalmonirhat villagers

Solar powered water pump reaches pure water to Lalmonirhat villagers

A woman collects drinking water from the supply line of a solar pump beside her house at Purbo Bejgram village of Tangbhanga union in Lalmonirhat's Hatibandha upazila. Right, the solar power run pump meant for supplying pure water for the villagers. 

Get Pure Water from Solar Powered Water Pump

One hundred and sixty five people of 28 families in Purbo Bejgram village under Hatibandha upazila of the district have been getting pure water since a solar-powered water pump was installed in January 2016.

Before installation of the pump, which cost Tk 4.9 lakh, they had to collect water for drinking from nearby villages, villagers said.

Benifit from Solar Water Pump System

Anjoli Rani Singh, 46, wife of Shyamol Chandra Singh of the village, said, “We had trouble in getting pure water, but the problem was solved when the solar system water pump was installed by the union parishad. We are getting water in our homes through a pipe connected to the pump.”

“We get water from the solar system pump from morning to afternoon every day,” said Sabitri Rani, 35, of the village. “At night, we use stocked water and water from a tube-well,” she added.

Hridoy Chandra Singh, a college student, said, “The solar system makes our life easier by supplying pure water, we are happy now.”

Pronob Chandra Roy, 48, a farmer at Paschim Nawdabash village, said the solar water pump has changed the lifestyle of the residents of Purbo Bejgram, so the residents of Paschim Nawdabash are demanding installation of solar system pump in the village.

Nawdabash Union Parishad (UP) Chairman Ashwini Kumar Basuniya said there is a plan to install a solar system pump in the village this year.

Tangbhanga UP Chairman Atiar Rahman Ati said the solar system water pump was funded by Local Government Support Project, and the upazila innovation team implemented the technology.

“Villagers are getting water supply free of cost, and the union parishad maintains the infrastructure,” he said, adding that they have a plan to install this technology at other villages in the union.       

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AIB:Renewables continue to grow at a rapid pace across Europe

AIB:Renewables continue to grow at a rapid pace across Europe

Europe  ’s dem for renewable electricity continues to grow in 2016. Based on statistics from the Association of Issuing Bodies (AIB  ) from 2011 to 2016 the market experienced an annual growth (CAGR) of 12,5%. Last year the dem rose by 5% compared to 2015, now reaching nearly 370 TWh.

“Behind this growth are thouss of businesses millions of households in numerous European countries purchasing renewable electricity documented with Guarantees of Origin” said Tom Lindberg, Managing Director at ECOHZ. “Much of the dem is driven by an increased sense of urgency among leading international businesses in contributing to combating climate change – by switching from fossil fuel power to clean, renewable energy.”

In the context of leading companies across various industries defined a clear sustainability agenda to ensure their future competitiveness. In the last two years several initiatives with similar goals have arisen inter alia RE100 which has now 87 corporate members that have all pledged to consume 100% renewable energy in the next years.

According to the Managing Director from ECOHZ, Hydropower remains the dominant source of electricity, with an approximate 75% market share. However this growth has slowed while the supply of solar wind power documented with EECS GO, grew by 300% 50% respectively, now providing nearly 70 TWh.

Recent statistics from AIB show that Germany, Switzerl, Sweden the Netherls remain as the largest markets for renewable purchases in Europe. While Europe’s biggest market, Germany, has halted its rapid growth, the Dutch market continues to grow at a faster pace than the rest, almost reaching 50 TWh in 2016.

According to Lindberg, Spain has shown an impressive speed after a slow start, now issuing nearly 50 TWh in 2016. The markets France Italy continue their sturdy growth, thus underlining their increasing in significance.

The UK is now the only large renewable producer that not actively participates in the European markets. However, thanks to policy frameworks that allow imports of certain European EECS GO for domestic use, the British market shows too an overall dem growth in 2016, as the Managing Director from ECOHZ said.

Beside the UK, there are more European markets with national systems that do not participate in the Pan-European market place but unlikely have yet to adopt the EECS stard. According to AIB these markets total more than 200 TWh of purchased renewable power. If this is included the actual market volume renewable almost compromises 600TWh in 2016. This represents 50% of all renewable power production in Europe.

The AIB statistics only include Guarantees of Origin based on the EECS stard, that are tradable across national borders, among countries which have joined AIB, that are connected to AIB’s electronic GO hub.

AIB:Renewables continue to grow at a rapid pace across Europe

Solar energy powers pump system for irrigation solutions.

Solar energy powers pump system for irrigation solutions.

A farmer in Myanmar waters his crop with the help of a solar water pump

Every mouthful of food eaten by virtually every creature on Earth depends ultimately on the sun. But it can do much more than nurture the crops that feed us − and humans are starting to exploit this potential in striking new ways.

Farmers are now using solar energy to do far more than simply enable their crops to grow. Already it’s helping them to irrigate their fields and to clean their dairy equipment.

Only about 5 per cent of Africa’s cultivated land is irrigated, compared with Asia’s 41 per cent. Until recently, the other available methods have been manual irrigation, which is time-consuming and laborious, or petrol or diesel pumps, which are too expensive for many farmers and also add to greenhouse gas emissions.

But now there’s another way – solar-powered irrigation pumps. One pioneer of this technology is MNE Technology, based in China,manufacturing solar water pump system.

The pump’s solar panel directly converts solar energy into electrical power, which is transferred to a simple motor that rotates a flywheel, whose turning moves a piston up and down to draw water through the pump cylinder.

The pump, which can produce enough water to irrigate about half an acre of land per hour, works on sunny and cloudy days, in the early morning and late into the evening – and is easily transportable.

The solar panels provide the pump’s power directly without the need for batteries.Water is pumped into a raised storage tank by day, and all the farmer needs to do in the evening is to open a valve on the tank so that the water flows down through a filtration system and onto crop root zones via drip irrigation tape.

If you want to learn more about solar water pumping system,welcome to contact us by email sales@megawatt.com.cn

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India Madhya Pradesh Auctions Nation Lowest-priced Solar

India Madhya Pradesh Auctions Nation Lowest-priced Solar

India Madhya Pradesh Auctions Nation Lowest-priced Solar

An auction in the India state of Madhya Pradesh has today set a new record low for solar  power in the country.

The Rewa ultra-mega solar park, a 750 MW joint venture between Solar Energy Corp of India (SECI) Madhya Pradesh Urja Vikas Ltd., has attracted bids of INR 3.59/kWh ($0.053/kWh) – the lowest ever recorded in India.

Bidding rules outlined by the developers deemed that the lowest tariff accepted would serve as a base price for the reverse auction. The developers that submitted the highest proposed tariff would be excluded from the e-auction. This unique set of rules has helped to drive the cost below the previous Indian record-low of INR 4.34/kWh, set last year in Rajasthan.

The Rewa solar capacity is being doled out in three, 250 MW units – the first of which is set at a price of INR 3.59/kWh, rising to INR 3.61/kWh for the second unit, INR 3.26/kWh for the third.

There were 20 developer proposals submitted in the e-auction, this number was whittled down to 18 following the exclusion of Shapporji Pallonji Torrent Power – both of who offered the two highest prices.

“The auction will begin at the country’s lowest solar power rate it is likely to go further down,” said India’s principal secretary of new renewable energy, Manu Shrivastav. The completed Rewa solar park will not only be India’s cheapest such installation, but its largest too, usurping Tamil Nadu’s 648 MW solar farm.

A portion of the energy produced onsite at the 750 MW, 1,500 hectare plot will be purchased by Delhi Metro Rail, with Madhya Pradesh utilities committed to buying the rest of the power produced.

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Solar Powered Water Pump System Life into Yemeni Farms

Solar Powered Water Pump System Life into Yemeni Farms

Solar Powered Water Pump System Life into Yemeni Farms

Thanks to Solar powered Pumps for agricultural Irrigation

Thanks to solar power pumps, production at this farm in Wadi Dawan and several other farms in Yemen’s province of Hadramout has not stopped despite suffering from massive diesel shortage due to the ongoing war in the country.

The farm, located in the eastern gate of Wadi Dawan along an arid stream, is known for two reasons: its premium honey and being the ancestral home of Osama Bin Laden’s father.

When he first began working here, Abdul Rahman Al Sakuti remembers how he used to spend countless hours irrigating the farm.

“I used to spend the early hours of the day on diesel pumps; fill in fuel, and start them manually. When the machines broke down, we used to wait for hours or days for engineers to repair them,” Al Sakuti

During the latest cycle of violence in the poverty-stricken country where diesel became scarce, farmers had either to buy fuel at exorbitant prices from the black market or halt farm production altogether.

But Al Sakuti took advantage of large cash incentives given by the government a few years ago to encourage farmers to invest in solar power pumps in order to curb reliance on diesel.

The Solar Energy Pump System Has Made Lives of The Farmers Much Easier.

“Now, when the sun shines, the pumps automatically switch on and the water flows into the farm. We do not even bother to look at them,” Al Sakuti said.

Now, Hadramout’s long agricultural valley is strewn with solar panels as far as the eye can see.

Farmers here say that the solar power has boosted production as there is plenty of water and farmers are able to spend more time on the crops.

“The solar power water pumps have definitely boosted crop production. We are able to irrigate them daily.

Government Aims at Helping Farmer Arcoss Yemen to Covert to Green Energy

Aimed at helping farmers across Yemen to covert to the green energy, the government kicked off a programme in 2014 to subsidise solar power pumps and panels.

Through a local state-run bank, the government would pay 25 per cent of the price of the solar system if the farm’s owner would pay the total cost upfront.

Landlords who could not afford the upfront payment were able to take an interest-free loan and the government would slash 10 per cent for those who could pay it back in two years and five per cent if they could pay it back in three years.

Omar Saeed Bin Frijan, an engineer who runs a solar power company called Al Wadi, told that many people took advantage of the government incentive in order to ditch costly diesel pumps.

“During the early months of programme, we used to install five pumps monthly as demand was very high,” he said.

But many others hesitated to apply for the government loan due to the high initial cost of the system.

The cost of installing a 15kw solar-powered pump in August 2014 cost $28,000.

But the farmers who acted on time have saved thousands of dollars as they dodged high diesel and oil prices and maintenance costs.

But, only a few months after approving the programme it was suspended as Yemen erupted into civil war.

To the disappointment of many farmers, the government called off the incentive programme when the war broke out early 2015.

Many unlucky farmers who did not have the solar panels yet were forced to shut down operations.

Al Sakuti said that his landlord used the money they saved from diesel and repairs to buy more solar power pumps.

Since it began operations in June 2013, Frijan’s company has installed 58 solar power systems in different places in Hadramout.

Not only are they useful for farmers, but they are also used to pump drinking water for residents.

But, the number of solar power systems is relatively low compared to the hundreds of diesel-generated pumps throughout Yemen.

“While people knew that it was a smart investment and operational costs would be zero, most could not afford to buy them,” Frijan said.

“The government should revive the programme,” he added.

Despite the host of benefits of using the renewable energy system, some critics say that if farmers excessively pump water to irrigate their farmland, then the country’s underground reservoirs would be in danger of depletion.

“The farmers are not up to date on how to use modern irrigation systems,” Salem Buraji, the director of ministry of agriculture in Hadramout’s Wadi Dawan

“They still use mud furrow instead of plastic pip

More info :Solar Powered Water Pump System Life into Yemeni Farms

Solar makes up 37% of new U.S. large-scale generation in 2016

Solar makes up 37% of new U.S. large-scale generation in 2016

Solar makes up 37% of new U.S. large-scale generation in 2016

We all knew that 2016 was going to be a very good year for the U.S. solar market, however no one could say exactly how good.

Yesterday the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration (EIA) produced a post which provides some of the first concrete numbers for the year. EIA estimates that when all planned projects come online, the United States will have installed 9.5 GW of utility-scale solar over the course of 2016.

Scheduled electric generating capacity additions in 2016

unlike the data from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) monthly Energy Infrastructure updates, EIA’s latest report is in line with what the solar industry expects. Mercom Capital GTM Research have forecast that 13-14 GW of both utility-scale distributed solar will be installed in the United States this year.

EIA says that the states with the most new utility-scale solar this year are California at 3.9 GW, North Carolina at 1.1 GW Nevada at around 900 MW.

The total 9.5 GW of solar represents 37% of all new large-scale generation which is coming online this year by capacity. The nation is also installing 6.8 GW of wind, which means that wind solar together will represent 63% of new large-scale capacity, if the other ~4 GW of distributed solar that GTM Research expects were included this number would be even higher.

Solar wind still make up a small portion of the overall electricity generation in the United States. In the first nine months of 2016 both utility-scale distributed solar provided 1.4% of the nation’s electricity, with wind providing 5%. However, the output of plants put online this year next will boost these numbers in 2017.

Natural gas still represents a significant portion of new capacity, as it has for the last 20 years. The nation installed 8.0 GW of natural gas plants in 2016, which represents 31% of new capacity; however as many of these plants will run at higher utilization rates it is likely that they will contribute a larger share of electricity to the nation’s mix.

Additionally, in April the Watts Bar 2 nuclear reactor was commissioned in Tennessee, adding 1.1 GW of capacity. This is the first new nuclear reactor to come online in the United States in 20 years, but two more nuclear power plants in the South will add additional capacity in the next few years. Even when these plants are added the amount of nuclear capacity that is being lost as older plants retire dwarfs new U.S. nuclear capacity.

More info: Solar makes up 37% of new U.S. large-scale generation in 2016