Solar pumps are emerging as a cost-effective, clean and sustainable technology in expanding irrigation to rural off-grid farmers. The prices of solar photovoltaics (PV) have been decreasing dramatically over the last decade and are forecast to further decrease. The International Renewable Agency (IRENA) projects a 59 per cent cost reduction for electricity generated by solar PV by 2025, as compared to 2015 prices, further creating a case for solar water pumping.
This brief highlights the benefits of solar water pumps, existing business models for supporting solar water pumps for local farmers, challenges in scaling solar water pumps and public interventions that can address some of the challenges.