CGIAR reports on IWMI work with grid-connected solar irrigation pumps that allow farmers to sell unused electricity. The model treats surplus energy as an income source and can reduce the incentive to pump groundwater simply because solar energy has near-zero marginal cost.
The equipment lesson is that efficiency alone is not enough. Pump sizing, controller logic, export metering, tariffs, groundwater monitoring and farmer training must operate as one system.
What buyers should verify
- Confirm whether grid export is legally and technically available.
- Size the pump to the water duty, not the available array alone.
- Define metering, curtailment and payment responsibility.
- Include groundwater monitoring and operator training.
