Puzzlingly low utilization of solar irrigation pumps by smallholders in Nepal undermines cost-effectiveness
Solar powered irrigation pumps (SIP) hold substantial potential for low carbon irrigation expansion, particularly where affordable electricity is limited. In contrast to diesel-based irrigation, which carries steep fuel costs, irrigation by SIP requires zero marginal costs, but high initial investme...
| Autores principales: | , , , |
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| Formato: | Journal Article |
| Lenguaje: | Inglés |
| Publicado: |
IOP Publishing
2024
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| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/163705 |
| _version_ | 1855525350059016192 |
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| author | Oziel, Dan Mukherji, Aditi Lamichhane, Nabina Fishman, Ram |
| author_browse | Fishman, Ram Lamichhane, Nabina Mukherji, Aditi Oziel, Dan |
| author_facet | Oziel, Dan Mukherji, Aditi Lamichhane, Nabina Fishman, Ram |
| author_sort | Oziel, Dan |
| collection | Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace) |
| description | Solar powered irrigation pumps (SIP) hold substantial potential for low carbon irrigation expansion, particularly where affordable electricity is limited. In contrast to diesel-based irrigation, which carries steep fuel costs, irrigation by SIP requires zero marginal costs, but high initial investments. This makes their competitiveness with diesel pumps highly dependent on the temporal frequency of their usage. Using unique and detailed data on SIP usage by smallholders in Nepal, we show SIP usage frequency is low, making it financially competitive with diesel for only a small fraction of farmers. We analyze characteristics of farmers who make low/high usage of the SIP, and explore potential explanations for the puzzling low level of SIP use. |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | CGSpace163705 |
| institution | CGIAR Consortium |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| publishDateRange | 2024 |
| publishDateSort | 2024 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| publisherStr | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | CGSpace1637052025-10-26T12:52:17Z Puzzlingly low utilization of solar irrigation pumps by smallholders in Nepal undermines cost-effectiveness Oziel, Dan Mukherji, Aditi Lamichhane, Nabina Fishman, Ram groundwater renewable energy climate change mitigation rural development Solar powered irrigation pumps (SIP) hold substantial potential for low carbon irrigation expansion, particularly where affordable electricity is limited. In contrast to diesel-based irrigation, which carries steep fuel costs, irrigation by SIP requires zero marginal costs, but high initial investments. This makes their competitiveness with diesel pumps highly dependent on the temporal frequency of their usage. Using unique and detailed data on SIP usage by smallholders in Nepal, we show SIP usage frequency is low, making it financially competitive with diesel for only a small fraction of farmers. We analyze characteristics of farmers who make low/high usage of the SIP, and explore potential explanations for the puzzling low level of SIP use. 2024-12-01 2024-12-18T07:10:55Z 2024-12-18T07:10:55Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/163705 en Open Access application/pdf IOP Publishing Oziel, D., Mukherji, A., Lamichhane, N. and Fishman, R. 2024. Puzzlingly low utilization of solar irrigation pumps by smallholders in Nepal undermines cost-effectiveness. Environmental Research Letters 19(12):124062. |
| spellingShingle | groundwater renewable energy climate change mitigation rural development Oziel, Dan Mukherji, Aditi Lamichhane, Nabina Fishman, Ram Puzzlingly low utilization of solar irrigation pumps by smallholders in Nepal undermines cost-effectiveness |
| title | Puzzlingly low utilization of solar irrigation pumps by smallholders in Nepal undermines cost-effectiveness |
| title_full | Puzzlingly low utilization of solar irrigation pumps by smallholders in Nepal undermines cost-effectiveness |
| title_fullStr | Puzzlingly low utilization of solar irrigation pumps by smallholders in Nepal undermines cost-effectiveness |
| title_full_unstemmed | Puzzlingly low utilization of solar irrigation pumps by smallholders in Nepal undermines cost-effectiveness |
| title_short | Puzzlingly low utilization of solar irrigation pumps by smallholders in Nepal undermines cost-effectiveness |
| title_sort | puzzlingly low utilization of solar irrigation pumps by smallholders in nepal undermines cost effectiveness |
| topic | groundwater renewable energy climate change mitigation rural development |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/163705 |
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