CLSU to integrate agri-voltaic system in farm production

MANILA, Philippines — Central Luzon State University (CLSU) is working to integrate the agri-voltaic (AV) system in the farm production system to further promote the use of renewable energy in the agriculture sector.

The AV system is under a one-year, Phase 2 project funded by the Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR).

Initially, the technology is expected to benefit fruit and vegetable growers and farmers and marketing cooperatives and associations in Nueva Ecija.

“It will identify suitable crops that can be grown under the solar panels. An automated fertigation system powered by the energy generated by the AVS will be developed for crop production,” project leader Marvin Cinense said.

The project serves as a follow through of the initially implemented project that focused on the development and pilot testing of a solar-powered pump and hose-reel irrigation system (SPHRIS) for sustainable crop production.

The designed and fabricated SPHRIS during Phase 1 of the project has shown its comparable performance to provide cleaner and reliable crop irrigation in remote areas at a cheaper or affordable cost.

Its potential and flexibility was tested in five locations (Philippine-Sino Center for Agricultural Technology; Barangays Licaong and San Agustin in the Science City of Muñoz; Sta Barbara, Llanera; and Brgy. Sinipit Bubon, San Jose City) at different water sources: dug well, open source and shallow tubewell.

Pump performance showed that even at low light intensity, the solar panels can generate enough power to effectively run and pump water from six to seven hours per day. Meanwhile, the unit-output cost of a diesel-powered pump is higher than solar- powered pump.

The results prompted BAR to support another phase of the project to provide available technologies on renewable energy to lessen the dependence of farmers on fossil-based fuels and to possibly be adapted in the farm production system and upscale in other areas.

Compared to the 1.5-kilowatt (kW) capacity of the SPHRIS, the AV system technology at 24 kW will enable solar energy to be maximized for other farm equipment, irrigation systems, and farm production as well as for food production.

Furthermore, the AV system technology aims to optimize utilization of areas where solar panels will be installed.

Through the recommended optimum spacing between solar panels, crop production will be possible below these panels.