RENEWABLE ENERGY IN AGRICULTURE PRODUCTION. ~ Free Seminar and Project Materials

ABSTRACT

Renewable energy technologies are being used in a variety of applications on farms and ranches and there are many opportunities to expand their use in the future.

This paper highlight the principle of operation of Solar and Windmill Power systems using a farm land as case study to power Agricultural Equipment and also how this system can be a source of financial gains to Agricultural production.

INTRODUCTION

The cost of world energy is growing everyday as the availability of fossil fuel is decreasing. This resulting in the reduce number of people wanting to deploy technological sophistication in agriculture. Solar energy is clean and unlimited means of capturing the sun's energy for light, heat, hot water, and electricity. This is a convenient way to save money, increase self-reliance, and reduce pollution. Whether drying crops, heating buildings, or powering a water pump, using the sun can make the farm more economical and efficient.

Solar System

Solar technologies produce electrical or thermal energy. Photovoltaic (PV) cells (or "solar cells") that convert sunlight directly into electricity are made of semiconductors such as crystalline silicon or various thin-film materials. Solar thermal technologies collect heat from the sun and then use it directly for space and water heating or convert it to electricity through conventional steam cycles, heat engines, or other generating technologies (concentrating solar systems).

Solar energy could use chemical process to store energy inform of electricity for use at times when the sun is not shining.

And this is the case with most farm settlements. Solar electric systems are used to provide electricity for lighting, battery charging, small motors, water pumping, and electric fences. To sense the movement of livestock and intruders (security).

Livestock and dairy operations often have substantial air and water heating requirements. For example, commercial dairy farms use large amounts of energy to heat water for cleaning equipment. Heating water and cooling milk can account for up to 40 percent of the energy used on a dairy farm. Solar water heating systems may be used to supply all or part of these hot water requirements. Other solar applications include greenhouse heating and solar crop drying

The number of solar energy applications is expected to grow as new technologies increase solar cell efficiency and reduce costs. New "quantum dot" materials could theoretically double efficiency, converting 65 percent of the sun's energy into electricity, as compared to the best commercially available solar cells today, which have conversion efficiencies of up to 30 percent. Research is also being conducted to reduce the cost of solar water heating systems through the use of materials like plastics instead of metals and glass.

Wind Energy

Wind technologies provide mechanical and electrical energy. Wind turbines operate on a simple principle: Wind turns rotor blades, which drive an electric generator, turning the kinetic energy of the wind into electrical energy. Turbines are often grouped into wind farms, which provide bulk power to the electrical grid. Small wind turbines range in size from 0.4 to 1.5 kW generators for small loads, such as battery charging.

The small ratings turbines are usually combined together in most farms where there is no enough availability of wind. Wind power technology is already in widespread use due to substantial progress, there is reduction in costs for areas with consistently high wind speeds. Today's state-of-the-art wind turbines, operating in high-wind areas, can produce electricity for a few cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh), which is competitive with the cost of fossil fuel-fired plants.

Small wind systems can serve agriculture in traditional ways, such as using mechanical energy to pump water or grind grain. As costs decrease, small systems used to generate electricity may also become economically efficient by avoiding the expense of installing transmission wires, especially in more remote applications. When connected to the electricity distribution grid, Small windmills can generate revenue through electricity sales when generation exceeds internal requirements. Decentralized wind systems can be combined with other energy sources to create a hybrid energy system, where the low cost and intermittent wind resource is supplemented by more expensive small generators such as diesel generators or batteries, to provide power that is both relatively inexpensive and reliable.

As technological improvements continue to increase, the agricultural producers are likely to increase their use of wind power to lower energy costs and become more energy self-sufficient. Below are schematics of wind power systems for further illustrations

Conclusion

Where do we go from here to encourage renewable sources of energy that are important to agriculture, such as solar, wind, geothermal, and biomass? The development of a new energy future will require research, development, demonstration, deployment, and commercialization of new technologies. Each of these activities must function as part of a continuous flowing from the research bench to commercial application, with feedback loops among the various steps. Collaboration, education, and policy will all be important.

References