Author/Authors :
Hossain M. A. نويسنده Farm Machinery and Postharvest Process Engineering Division - Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute , Hassan M. S. نويسنده Farm Machinery and Postharvest Process Engineering Division - Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute , Mottalib M. A. نويسنده Farm Machinery and Postharvest Process Engineering Division - Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute , Hossain M. نويسنده Farm Machinery and Postharvest Process Engineering Division - Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute
Abstract :
A base-line survey was conducted in 2010 at
different locations of Bangladesh to know the present status
of solar pumps. The respondents were solar pump users,
suppliers and service providers. There were about 150 solar
pumps in Bangladesh, among them 65 % were used for
supplying drinking water to the poor people of the locality
and about 35 % solar pumps were used for irrigation purposes.
The size of solar pumps varied from 300 to 1,190
Wp and discharge capacity varied from 2,000 to 800,000
L/day. Panel cost was the major cost (45 %) in solar pump
followed by the costs of installation (18 %), motor (16 %),
pump (10 %), and pipes and fittings (4 %). Life cycle cost
of diesel engine-operated pump was lower up to 5 years.
After 5 years, the life cycle cost of solar pump became
lower than that of diesel engine-operated pump. Benefit
cost ratio, net present value and internal rate of return of
solar pump were found higher than diesel-operated pump.
Therefore, solar pump is profitable and investment on solar
pump is more risk free than diesel engine-operated pump.
Diesel engine-operated irrigation pump emits carbon
dioxide and pollutes environment, but solar pump is an
environment-friendly irrigation technology.
