Geophysical, technical, and engineering feasibility assessment of solar-powered groundwater abstraction in rural areas of Greater Giyani Municipality, Limpopo
Extreme climate events, such as tropical cyclones, wildfires, and droughts play a role in increased water scarcity. These events may pose severe impacts and effects on communities and ecosystems over many years. Rural communities in Limpopo need more access to energy and water that may be used for agricultural irrigation. Solar-powered irrigation for agriculture is a desirable use of renewable energy. However, for the system to be practical, it must be technically and economically feasible. This study assesses the geophysical, technical, and engineering feasibility of using solar-powered irrigation systems in Greater Giyani Municipality, Limpopo. The geophysical objective is to evaluate the conditions of the site, the yield of the boreholes as well as their characteristics. The technical-engineering objective is to determine the design of the system and how many solar panels and pumps are required, power and capacity of the pump and the pipes and fittings that are required. A toolbox created by GIZ (German Corporation for International Cooperation), and FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) was used to aid in the design of the solar-powered system. Various toolboxes were used to design, set up, safeguard, and maintain the solar-powered irrigation system. These toolboxes are comprised of modules that contain user-friendly software tools in the form of calculation sheets, checklists and guidelines. Data were collected on climate, soil, geohydrology, land use, borehole characteristics, and farming practices.
Solar-powered groundwater, Rural areas, Limpopo, Extreme climate events, Irrigation techniques
Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations