Air quality concerns
and soaring utility rates plague California’s agriculturally-rich
San Joaquin Valley. Coupled with the 2001s Golden State power shortages
and outages, the concept of generating one’s own electricity
using photovoltaic or solar cell technology has caught on. Demand
for this environmentally friendly and energy-efficient technology
is skyrocketing. What’s more, photovoltaic technologies aren’t
limited to residential, industrial and commercial applications. Enter
the solar-powered irrigation pumping system.
Solar
Power
For years, transducers, which convert one form of energy into another,
have been used extensively throughout society to help improve the
quality of life. Now certain kinds are being employed to improve air
quality.
Motors, generators, loudspeakers, microphones, piezoelectric devices
which use pressure or strain to create electricity, and photovoltaic
cells which change energy into electricity, are all examples of transducers.
The latter, known more for their application in the motor vehicle
domain for solar-powered cars, are garnering attention with regard
to their commercial, residential and even agricultural applications.
The end result of solar or photovoltaic technology being employed
by the energy end-user to generate electricity is that dependence
on the utility company supply is lowered, and excess electricity generated
at the farm, business, industry and home site is fed back into the
power grid – reducing one’s power bill while at the same
time increasing the supply of available electricity for use by consumers-at-large.
“Solar power offers growers an alternative energy source that
is reliable, affordable and clean, which is a significant plus for
air quality in the San Joaquin Valley,” said Quentin Kelly,
WorldWater Corporation chairman and CEO.
In March, the world’s first solar-powered 50 horsepower irrigation
pump was unveiled at a commissioning ceremony held at the D. T. Locke
cotton ranch in Mendota in western Fresno County.
The WorldWater/D. T. Locke Ranch solar-powered irrigation system –
the first of its kind and the first one of its size – “offers
a whole new approach and a significant change in the air quality of
irrigation and power pumping for farms, ranches, dairies, water districts
and food processing companies,” Kelly said. These energy-efficient,
environmentally friendly proprietary solar systems operate automatically
and can provide substitute power for diesel pump systems up to 600
horsepower, he said.
The Benefits of Solar are Many
Pumps driven by solar saves growers money because there is no cost
for fuel – the sun’s energy needed to supply light power
is free and in unlimited supply. Additionally, maintenance costs are
minimal after the solar system is installed with regular maintenance
unneeded. Furthermore, electricity bills are markedly lower. But perhaps
the greatest reward is that growers owning such systems qualify to
receive utility company credit when extra electricity produced goes
back into the power grid. Additionally, solar is a zero-emission technology.
Since the D.T. Locke solar-power irrigation installation, other agricultural
ventures have followed. In fact, in late October, Lehr Brothers Big
L Packing Facility near Bakersfield, Calif., unveiled a 350 horsepower
hydracooler for processing potatoes. This is the world’s largest
so far.
Real Incentives
Among the celebrants at the WorldWater/Locke Ranch solar power irrigation
pump commissioning ceremony was David Zoldoske, director of the Center
for Irrigation Technology at California State University, Fresno.
Offering statistics, Zoldoske cites there are 37,866 statewide irrigation
pumps that could be converted to solar. The biggest obstacle, however,
is the initial capital outlay required to purchase and install such
a system.
To relieve farmer’s worries, WorldWater touts its system as
reliable and hassle-free and will more than pay for themselves. According
to the company, savings in electricity bills will pay off the cost
of the solar system.
Incentives including depreciation allowances, rebates and tax credits
available in many states help offset the huge initial installation
cost. Pacific Gas & Electric Company, for example, has issued
$10.3 million in rebates to its customers who have installed solar
panel systems since 2002.
On the D. T. Locke Ranch, the 50 hp irrigation pumping system costs
$290,000, half of which was paid for by the Locke’s, the remainder
coming from state grant sources.
Besides powering the irrigation pump, the solar panel-generated electricity
is supplied to the nearby farm shop, house and its associated water
well. Wanting to cut expenses on the family’s 1,250-acre cotton
ranch, the Locke’s estimate it may take five or so years before
they’re able to recoup the $145,000 investment. A savings of
between $16,000 and $20,000 per year is anticipated once that happens.
“The system works as a hybrid in automatic combination with
the electric grid, allowing the electric meter to ‘spin’
backwards, called net metering, when the self-generating electricity
isn’t used in the field,” according to WorldWater.
“Because of its independent energy-producing abilities, the
system provides farmers with an energy source for continued irrigation
during an electrical black- or brown-out,” according to a company
release.
For more information about WorldWater’s solar powered irrigation
systems, visit www.worldwater.com.
