FIELD EVALUATION AND PVSYST MODELLING OF A MOBILE PHOTOVOLTAIC WATER-PUMPING SYSTEM FOR SMALLHOLDER IRRIGATION IN EGYPT

Ramadan, Abdelraouf; Sharafeldin, Yasmin; Bakeer, Gomaa; Omran, Mohamed; EL-Ghetany, Hamdy

doi:10.21608/agro.2025.424774.1853

FIELD EVALUATION AND PVSYST MODELLING OF A MOBILE PHOTOVOLTAIC WATER-PUMPING SYSTEM FOR SMALLHOLDER IRRIGATION IN EGYPT

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Agricultural and Biological Research Institute, National Research Center

² Master Student, Agricultural Engineering Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza

³ Agricultural Engineering Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza 12613, Egypt;

⁴ Solar Energy Department, National Research Centre, Dokki, 12622, Giza, Egypt;

10.21608/agro.2025.424774.1853

Abstract

The research study was conducted at three sites in the Delta and Nile Valley to increase the sustainability of agricultural operations under arid conditions in Egypt. A mobile solar-powered irrigation pumping unit was designed and implemented, and the optimal solar panel tilt angle and azimuth were determined for the three sites to achieve high-performance and a sustainable alternative to diesel-powered water pumping. Practical trials began in early 2021 and continued for two years. The experiments were conducted in the governorates of Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate for rice irrigation, Giza Governorate for maize irrigation, and Assiut Governorate for sugarcane irrigation. The study concluded that maximum efficiency occurred when azimuth angle was 0° pointed downwards, a non-significant difference between the measured solar panel tilt angle and the results of the simulation models at a specific fixed angle for irrigating the selected crops. The most suitable tilt angle for the solar panels, which was fixed throughout the year, was 29° in Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate, 26° in Giza Governorate, and 28° in Assiut Governorate. Similarly, the solar irrigation is economical for small holdings of less than 2 acres spread over twenty (20) years with the option of cluster formation amongst farmers while a reservoir would be required for periodic irrigation to reduce operational cost. Finally, there is a necessity to have a backup diesel-powered water pump in case of a malfunction in the mobile pumping unit that operates on solar energy.

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