Design of photo voltaic pumping system using water tank storage for a remote area in Algeria

In Algeria, diesel generation power technology offers the possibility of supplying water to remote regions for irrigation. The exploitation of solar energy through photovoltaic (PV) systems is an attractive solution to substitute fossil fuel for pumping water needed in these remote areas. The design of a photovoltaic water pumping system depends on the estimation of the crop water requirements and the solar irradiation. This study is based on modeling, simulation and optimization of pumping system by using solar and conventional energy source in the form of standalone and hybrid system to supply irrigating water. For that reason, an Algerian farm cultivated with thousands of trees is investigated as a reference case study. The simulations, performed by HOMER, provide the best system configuration based on hour-by-hour data for energy availability and demands. It has been found that a diesel generator system remains the most suitable solution in terms of economic performance to supply irrigating water at remote and distant locations in Algeria.