Solar Water Pumps Promotion: Need a Holistic Approach
Technology, Quality, System Price, After Sales Service, Government Policy, Awareness of the Stakeholders, Water Level , Digital Platform based Operation & Asset Management, Finance or Sustainability – is any particular aspect more important than other or a holistic approach is needed for the promotion of Solar Water Pumps and why Solar Water Pumps?
The Agricultural (Ag) pumps in India are being critically reviewed and it is found that there is huge room for improvement on all the fronts. Any development in the present practice will have a multi fold positive impact on various above-mentioned key areas. Solar Water Pumps have been considered as the savior for the reasons well known to us and it is being deployed in fast pace but the question is if it is being deployed judiciously.
India has a target to deploy 01(one) million solar water pumps by 2021. Again, ‘Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan’ (KUSUM) scheme has the potential to make the solar water pumps a more viable alternative. We have enough on ground evidences to take care of the existing snags and the time is ripe to execute the new measures to meet the target and simultaneously affect positively on both the water ( reduction of ground water depletion) as well as the power sectors(reduction of the Aggregate Technical & Commercial, AT&C Loss & Fiscal loss). The access to solar energy is not a problem in India as it gets more than 300 sunny days in a year. But the access to proper finance is the key to meet such a huge potential probably the largest in the world. The present finance mechanism is highly subsidy driven (up to 90% capital subsidy) and it is unviable fiscally as well as from the point of view of sustainability as such a system has risk of quality consideration, inefficient usages and irreversible damage to the environment.
Some other reasons for not getting satisfactory solar water pumps scaleup without almost free distribution by Government are: –
- Lack of Pertinent Information on ground: – The solar water pump installation in India is around 0.5% of the total irrigation pumps installed so far. Again, more than 90% of the installed pumps have come in last 05 years only. So, the right information flow is not always available which give less confidence to the users, financers and other stakeholders
- Technology Specific Risk: – There is apprehension about the quality of the product as some of the suppliers are not MNRE approved vendor and they supply low cost pumps and quality may be compromised. Even the quality becomes issue sometimes with MNRE approved vendors also. After sales services is needed to make the system operational and get benefited at the opportune time. Remote monitoring of solar water pumps operation and service management by the software platform has potential to minimize the hassle and improve the confidence of the stakeholders on the technology. Again, as the system remains in open, there is possibility of theft / physical damage as well; Insurance is key to be incorporated.
- Sustainability Concern: – If the groundwater goes below the serviceable limit the solar water pump will not function in the long run. So, the water conservation aspect is to be implemented with efficient irrigation practices based on digital technologies like IoTs and awareness generation.
- Operational Challenges: – The viability of the solar water pumps depends on the income of the farmers which again depend on the regular usages of the pumps as well as right farming. The involvement of the Ag- expert service are must in some cases. Shortage of trained staff has always been a concern
- Bank Financing: – The inability of farmers to offer proper collateral is considered biggest constraint in lending. Solar pump asset is not considered as a true collateral for reasons like lack of secondary market, immovability conditions, quality of the system, etc.
Exploring the possibility of other business models such as water as a service or lending to the cooperative should also be fruitful. So, the need is to have a holistic and not a particular direction approach.
Wonderful information has been shared in the article. Could you help me know the durability of the product in a windy situation and hails? Because where I wan to install the system in the region surrounded by mountains at times I have seen the wind had made a lot of destruction and hails are seen in the winter season most of the time.
As per Ministry specification, the PV modules should be mounted on metallic structures of adequate strength and appropriate design, which can withstand load of modules and high wind velocities up to 150 km per hour. The raw material used and process for manufacturing of module mounting structure including welding of joints should conform to applicable IS. The module mounting structure should be hot-dip galvanized according to IS 4759. Zinc content in the working area of the hot-dip galvanizing bath should not be less than 99.5% by mass.
Again, the possibility of solar PV panels damage by hails is rare as toughened glass is used.