An Overview of Configuration Strategies and Control Techniques for Solar Water Pumps

Abstract

In view of dwindling scenario of conventional energy sources, governments, scientists and researchers worldwide are engaged tirelessly to explore the renewable energy sources in every walk of life. Most of the developing countries like India, heavily depends upon the agriculture for their survival. Irrigation is an essential task to be performed for better agriculture output. Due to global warming and ecological issues, the cost-effective irrigation harnessing cleanest form of energy such as solar energy is preferable. The main purpose of this paper is to develop an overview of efficient solar based water pumping systems for irrigation in India by using different configuration strategies of converter/inverter and Maximum Peak Power Tracking (MPPT) techniques. In addition, it also discusses the scope and constraints of photo-voltaic based solar water pumping system. Conventional irrigation systems harnessing the fossil fuels emits large amount of greenhouse gases which causes global warming. In order to make the irrigation system cost effective, prodigious and sophisticated irrigation techniques using an optimal solar tracking mechanism have been highlighted.

Keywords: Maximum Peak Power Tracking (MPPT), Incremental Conductance (IC), Voltage Source Inverter (VSI), net present value (NPV)