Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF ELECTRIC AND SOLAR POWERED WATER PUMPING SYSTEM IN VILLUPURAM DISTRICT OF TAMILNADU: AN ECONOMIC APPROACH

C. Thulasiyammal, A. Vallava Anand, R. Venkataraman and P. Thangavel

Abstract

The ever increasing mismatch between demand and supply with energy and electricity in particular is posting challenges especially to farmers in rural areas. In such places, solar PV pumps are even economically viable in comparison with conventionally run pumps. The proposed study was contemplated to analyse the economic advantage of solar powered irrigation in comparison with electric operated wells. Data onto electric operated and solar operated tube wells have been collected based on average depth and HP rating of the motor for wells in the sample farms. For those sample farms, the investment pattern, operating hours of solar and electric operated motors, annual cost of investment and performance of solar and electric operated tube wells have been analysed. Moreover, the farmers’ opinions have also been collected regarding the advantage and disadvantage of solar and electric operated tube wells. Based on these analysis the present study revealed that the solar pump could be used in the small and marginal farmers at lower depths shallow tube wells and the in the case of deep bore wells operated by medium and big farmers the solar powered pumps can only be operated as a supplementary source.