Solar irrigation
Panels feed a variable-speed drive and a submersible or surface pump. Pair it with drip to stretch every litre. Water storage is cheaper than batteries.
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Solar threshers and renewable energy for agriculture
Run threshers, pumps, dryers and cold stores from the sun. Includes a sizing tool for machines and pumps.
Power the farm from the sun
Diesel and grid power are a large cost on many farms, and supply is not always reliable. Solar works well in farming because the sun is strongest when pumps, threshers and dryers are needed most.
This page covers solar threshers, solar pumps, dryers, cold storage and other renewable options, with a sizing tool you can use before you talk to an installer.
Solar-powered threshers
A thresher separates grain from the stalk. A solar thresher replaces the diesel engine or the grid connection with a motor powered by solar panels.
- Solar panels collect sunlight and make direct current.
- A controller or drive turns it into the right power for the motor and protects it.
- The motor turns the threshing drum and a fan or sieve separates grain from straw.
- Optional batteries store energy for cloudy spells or work after sunset. Many farms run directly from the panels in daytime and skip batteries to save cost.
- No fuel to buy and no engine to service
- Quiet, with no exhaust at the threshing floor
- The same array can run a pump or a dryer in other weeks
- Works in remote fields without a grid
Thresher safety
Threshers cause serious hand and arm injuries. Never reach into the hopper or drum, use the feed guard and an emergency stop, keep children away, switch off before clearing a jam and wear hearing and dust protection.
Solar sizing tool
Get a first estimate for a machine or a water pump. Sun hours are typical averages for northern Pakistan. Check your own site.
Solar array for a motor-driven machine
Thresher, chaff cutter, grain mill or similar.
Solar array for a pump
Tubewell or canal lift feeding a tank or drip system.
Renewable energy for agriculture
Solar threshing is one use. The same systems and a few others cut costs across the farm.
The picture at the top of this page shows a whole-farm set-up: rooftop solar on a cold store, a small wind turbine, a biogas digester and a battery bank. You rarely need every part. Start with the load that costs you most.
Solar dryers
Cabinet and tunnel dryers cut spoilage in fruit, vegetables, herbs and grain, and give a cleaner product than drying on the ground.
Solar cold storage
Panels with a battery or thermal storage keep produce cool. Good for vegetables and fruit that lose value in hot weather.
Biogas
Manure and farm waste make gas for cooking or a generator and a nutrient-rich slurry for the field. Needs steady feedstock.
Wind
Only worthwhile where measured wind is strong and steady. Measure before you buy.
Greenhouse and vertical farm power
Roof panels reduce the electricity bill for lights and cooling. See vertical farming.
Before you buy
- List your loads, the hours you run them and the season.
- Ask installers for a site visit, shading check and written design.
- Choose certified panels, a quality drive, correct earthing and surge protection.
- Plan cleaning, because dust can cut output noticeably.
- Check current local rules for grid connection and net metering.