Solar in Agriculture
Solar-powered Pumps Provide Cost-effective Livestock Watering
Remote or off-grid pumping (including
solar, windmill, and generator-power) provides cost-effective livestock watering
sources far from the utility grid. These systems give livestock greater access
to forage. They also reduce livestock pressure on stream banks, preventing nutrient
loading, damage to streamside vegetation, erosion and pollution. Why should you
consider installing a solar-powered livestock watering system on your farm or
ranch? How can you protect your system from freezing? You’ll find the answers
to those questions in these Energy Briefs:
Solar Pumping (325KB PDF)
Freeze Protection (218KB PDF)
Interested in what opportunities are emerging for your farm, ranch or community? The National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service/ATTRA has a Farm Energy section on its website, full of useful information, including
You can get these and many more
publications from the ATTRA website or
by calling 1-800-346-9140.
NCAT
Project Demonstrates Ag Uses for Solar Power
The average Montanan might be surprised to learn that solar power is already cost-effective
in a number of agricultural applications. NCAT's Ag Solar Project is demonstrating
agricultural uses of solar power, focusing initially on solar-powered pumping
for stock-watering and on solar-powered electrical fencing.
Farmers and ranchers are beginning
to appreciate the value of PV stock-watering and electrical fencing systems because
these enable animals to access high quality forage that is far from existing sources
of drinking water. At the same time, animals can be moved away from riparian areas
where they cause habitat damage, nutrient-loading, and other environmental problems.
Moreover, PV systems are easy
to install and cost-effective, especially where power line extensions are prohibitively
expensive easily made portable, so they can be moved from pasture to pasture to
follow stock rotations. quiet long-lasting and low-maintenance. Stock-watering
pumps do not need a battery, thus greatly reducing cost and maintenance while
increasing longevity.
During the summer of 2000, NCAT installed
six solar-powered stock-watering wells at ranches and farms owned by Montana
Power customers. After the systems have been
operating for one year, NCAT will produce a report detailing cost and energy savings,
environmental benefits, and lessons learned. NCAT will disseminate information
about agricultural uses of solar power through websites, press releases, and site
visits, and will also prepare a brochure intended to help consumers estimate cost-effectiveness,
design their own systems, find qualified vendors and repair persons, and choose
and purchase hardware.
Montana
AgSolar Project Report
Now Available On Line
Intuitively, Montana – with its strong agricultural sector set in one of the least-populated
areas in the country – represents an ideal candidate to embrace solar-electric
technology. Indeed, more and more farm and ranch producers are turning to solar
electric for a variety of uses, including water pumping, fencing, and powering
remote outbuildings, among others. Current users recognize that today’s solar-electric
technology has advanced significantly over the last 10 to 15 years and is now
cost-effective in many more applications, especially as an alternative to power-line
extensions.
Solar users also value the technology’s improved performance and reliability,
as well as its portability. These results are encouraging, but in fact only a
small proportion of the agricultural producers operating in Montana today have
experienced the benefits of solar-electric technology. Believing in the technology’s
potential, Montana Power Company agreed to use a portion of its Universal System
Benefits Charge monies to support the National Center for Appropriate Technology’s
Montana AgSolar Project. Download the 86-page project
report (807KB PDF).
Related Publications and Links
Renewable Energy Opportunities on the Farm
Renewable energy represents an important option for agricultural producers. This publication from the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service/ATTRA introduces three renewable energy resources that can be attractive and economically feasible for the farm: solar, wind, and renewable fuels. This is not a technical guide for designing or installing renewable energy systems but, instead, an overview that provides information on wind, solar, and renewable fuel technologies, cost and savings, site planning, and financial incentives. A list of resources follows the narrative.
Water
Pumping: The Solar Alternative
There are many thousands of water-pumping systems in the world today, powered
by wind generators or photovoltaic (PV) arrays. The PV-powered systems have demonstrated
higher reliability and lower costs than the alternative methods in a large class
of applications. Water Pumping: The Solar Alternative, a 38-page guide published
by Sandia National Laboratories describes the characteristics of PV-powered pumping
systems including their ease of procurement and installation, and small maintenance
requirements, which account for their growing popularity. The report is available
online at the above link.
Case
Study: Water for Cattle
In the gumbo soil country of South Dakota there is not much water underground,
so when rancher Oliver Romey's stock dams went dry in 1990 he had a hard time
finding a new source of water. When he found water on his land, the well was 1.5
miles from the power line. Extending the line to power his pump would
have cost $18,000. So, like many people in the area, Romey hauled water to his
cattle in tank trucks each day. After two seasons of hauling water, he read about
solar-powered pumping provided by the Northwest Rural Public Power District.More...
Electricity
When and Where You Need It: From the Sun
Solar-generated electricity, first used for satellites in space, now makes economic
sense on farms and ranches. In the case studies presented here and in many more
like them across the country, photovoltaics (PV) is the cheapest and most reliable
way to get the job done. This 28-page publication from the National Renewable
Energy Laboratory includes chapters on pumping water, power for buildings, and
working with the sun.
Solar
Greenhouses
Solar greenhouses are designed to collect and store heat gained during the day,
and are insulated to retain heat at night or during periods of cloudy weather.
They can be either stand-alone or lean-to structures. Most commercial production,
however, is done in free-standing structures. Back-up heating systems are usually
used in solar greenhouses as a hedge against extreme cold, and cooling systems
are needed if crop production continues through the summer. Solar
greenhouses are often good choices for small growers because they allow farmers
to extend the season and are usually cost-efficient. A small, build-your-own greenhouse
can cost as little as $500, depending on materials used.
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