Replacing diesel irrigation pumps with solar photovoltaic pumps for sustainable irrigation in Bangladesh: A feasibility study with HOMER

As a tropical country Bangladesh receives a substantial amount of solar insolation suitable for PV application. Being an agricultural economy, the irrigation need is increasing day by day. Use of diesel run pumping system is neither cost effective nor environment friendly. Even though 47.8% of the total irrigation pumps are diesel run which emits a huge amount of CO2 and other toxic gases. In this paper a typical year round irrigation load has been modelled and used to analyze the feasibility of replacing diesel irrigation pumps with solar PV powered motor-pump systems in HOMER. It was found that stand alone operation of diesel powered pumps are not at all cost effective. PV powered pumps are more feasible than a hybrid PV-Diesel Generator-Battery powered pump systems if it has a larger storage tank. If storage tank is not available then excess electricity fraction rises up to 84% which can be used in residential needs or can be used in other agricultural needs.