Improving and evaluating the performance of a real photovoltaic pumping system for agricultural irrigation purposes in a desert environment at Ghardaia, Algeria

Abstract

Algeria has one of the highest solar resources in the world. The availability of this significant solar energy can make photovoltaic (PV) water pumping applications a very attractive solution for many uses, including irrigation of agricultural areas, village water supply and domestic uses. The cost of water pumped by a PV pumping system is directly linked to the efficiency and reliability of the different elements constituting the system and also to the solar irradiation available at the installation site. Consequently, it is necessary to improve the reliability and efficiency of the PV generator in order to extract the maximum possible power at all times in order to achieve the most reliable and economic operation. On a real well of 25 m height in desert and semi-arid climate at the Sebseb site, Ghardaïa, Algeria, a typical PV pumping system for irrigation purposes is studied and optimized using two conventionels methods, a P&O method and a incremental method.These methods are essentially based on the assessment of water needs to irrigate 70 palm trees, the data on solar irradiation and the average temperature for the studied site (Sebseb, Ghardaia).