Page 1 of 11
European Journal of Applied Sciences – Vol. 10, No. 6
Publication Date: December 25, 2022
DOI:10.14738/aivp.106.13407. Saley Moussa, A. R., Ali, A., Boukar, M., & Madougou, S. (2022). Study of a Photovoltaic Solar Pumping System for Irrigation: Case
of the Adaraoua Site. European Journal of Applied Sciences, 10(6). 121-131.
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
Study of a Photovoltaic Solar Pumping System for Irrigation: Case
of the Adaraoua Site
SALEY MOUSSA Ahmed Roufaï
Laboratoire d’Energétique, d’Electronique, d’Electrotechnique
d’Automatique et d’Informatique, Industrielle (L3EA2I)
Aboubacar ALI
Laboratoire d’Energétique, d’Electronique, d’Electrotechnique
d’Automatique et d’Informatique, Industrielle (L3EA2I)
Département de Physique, Ecole Normale Supérieure
Université Abdou Moumouni de Niamey
Centre Emergent Africain Innovant d’Enseignement/Apprentissage
des Mathématiques et Sciences pour l’Afrique Sub-Saharienne
(CEA-IEA/MS4SSA) de l’Ecole Normale Supérieure
Makinta BOUKAR
Laboratoire d’Energétique, d’Electronique, d’Electrotechnique
d’Automatique et d’Informatique, Industrielle (L3EA2I)
Département de Physique, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques
Université Abdou Moumouni de Niamey
Saïdou MADOUGOU
Laboratoire d’Energétique, d’Electronique, d’Electrotechnique
d’Automatique et d’Informatique, Industrielle (L3EA2I)
Département de Physique, Ecole Normale Supérieure
Université Abdou Moumouni de Niamey
Centre Emergent Africain Innovant d’Enseignement/Apprentissage
des Mathématiques et Sciences pour l’Afrique Sub-Saharienne
(CEA-IEA/MS4SSA) de l’Ecole Normale Supérieure
ABSTRACT
This work presents a study of a photovoltaic solar pumping system for the irrigation
of a plot of 6,500 m2 in the village of ADARAOUA. The purpose of this study is to
bring a contribution to the population of village in their market gardening through
the use of photovoltaic (PV) solar energy. Using this energy, it is possible to pump
water to a certain depth from wells or boreholes by a solar pump. The system set up
comprises four main parts, namely a PV generator with a peak power (Pc) of
1,235.47 Wp, a solar pump of the GRUNDFOS SQFLEX type with a power of 1.4 kW, a
control box (FAMATEL) and a well 15 m deep. On the economic level, although the
realization of the system requires a significant cost of 3,974,600 F, one can retain as
advantages a very low maintenance cost, and a satisfactory profitability of the
cultures. From a technical point of view, the solar PV pumping system is very
reliable, efficient and autonomous. It is applicable for any need and in any area of
Page 2 of 11
122
European Journal of Applied Sciences (EJAS) Vol. 10, Issue 6, December-2022
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
the country (Niger) thanks to the solar deposit which is very important, the average
value of which can exceed 7 kWh/m2/d. These are the advantages that make it one
of the most suitable systems for irrigation in rural areas from a technical and
economic point of view.
Key-words: Photovoltaic solar energy, Water pumping, Irrigation, Technical, Economic
INTRODUCTION
Energy production is a challenge of great importance for the years to come. Indeed, the energy
needs of industrialized societies are constantly increasing. In addition, developing countries
will need more and more energy to successfully carry out their development [1]. Renewable
energies are forms of energy whose consumption does not diminish the resource on a human
time scale. Half of the population of these countries do not have access to drinking water. Efforts
to overcome this problem have led to programs such as water pumping a high priority.
Photovoltaic solar pumping is one of the promising applications of using solar energy [2].
Indeed, Niger's geographical location favors the development and growth of the use of solar
energy [3, 4, 5].
Easy access to water to enhance irrigation is still the daily concern of the rural population while
the use of photovoltaic solar energy for water pumping is a well-suited solution for these
regions [6]. In addition, solar energy, contrary to popular belief, is not completely free. Its use
requires an initial investment that is often heavier than that of conventional energy sources.
Despite this, it is used all over the world thanks to its multiple advantages in many sectors:
industry, transport, social and also in the agricultural sector.
In West Africa, as everywhere in sub-Saharan Africa, agriculture is a crucial development tool
for driving growth and fighting poverty and food insecurity. Therefore, increasing agricultural
productivity is essential. Therefore, the improvement of water management, in particular the
development of irrigation, is a determining factor for agricultural productivity. Indeed,
irrigation helps the beneficiary populations get above the poverty line. It is understandable that
the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) has made hydro-agricultural land
development the first pillar of its Comprehensive Program for the Development of African
Agriculture (CAADP). In addition, on national, regional and international markets, the
competitiveness of high value-added products is linked to the regularity of supply and product
quality. Irrigation is a key element for these two parameters. It is, therefore, not surprising that
projects aimed at improving agricultural competitiveness, recently implemented in West Africa,
generally have a component devoted to the development of small-scale irrigation. The latter
appears as a promising sector by its simple design, its low cost, flexibility of application as well
as its socio-economic benefits.
Also, the development of irrigation potential in Africa is the basis of the collaborative strategy
for agricultural water management, recently developed by five international organizations
(World Bank, AfDB, FAO, IFAD, and IWMI), a strategy which aims at boosting investments in the
water sector for small-scale irrigation agriculture in Burkina-Faso, Mali, Niger and Nigeria [7].
Page 3 of 11
123
Saley Moussa, A. R., Ali, A., Boukar, M., & Madougou, S. (2022). Study of a Photovoltaic Solar Pumping System for Irrigation: Case of the Adaraoua
Site. European Journal of Applied Sciences, 10(6). 121-131.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/aivp.106.13407
The objective of this article is to develop, facilitate the cultivation of irrigation in rural areas
according to the photovoltaic solar pumping system and thus, to fight against food insufficiency
which is in several villages of Niger.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Materials used
As part of this work on the study of a pumping system, several materials were used: a tape
measure; a GPS, a digital multimeter, a probe and a suitcase that includes all the remains of the
equipment: inclinometer, a drill, a hammer, a screwdriver, pliers, a sheet with questionnaires,
and QGIS LAS 3.10 software for mapping the study area.
Method
We first visited the agricultural exploitation site of the village of ADARAOUA with the support
of the site owner to identify the needs of this site located near the city of Maradi. This site will
be used for the technical and financial study of a solar pumping system for irrigation. We, then,
proceeded to the sizing of the water production units. The main steps of this part, which
summarizes the entire approach of this study, are as follows [7]:
- Site visit (Several times);
- calculation of the land area and the cultivable part;
- estimation of plant water needs per irrigation session; (estimated using the traditional
method);
- determination of the power required for the pump;
- determination of the energy to be supplied to the pump, then the evaluation of the
number of solar panels (according to the characteristics);
- verification of the components of the installation;
- technical and financial study (The technical results of the system, the cost of the
installation, the cost of depreciation, the yield and the gain on the harvest).
a. Estimation of the surface of the land and the cultivable part.
- The land has a rectangular shape, we measured the length (L) and the width (lg) to
deduce the surface.
The length is 100 m and the width 65 m, of which a total area of 6,500 m2.
S = L × lg (l)
- To determine the cultivable area, we divided the land into irrigation sectors as shown
on the plot plan in Figure 1.