Techno-Economic Opportunities for Integrating Renewable Energy into Saskatchewan Irrigation Projects Using HOMER

Sophisticated irrigation agriculture may be required for global food security. In Saskatchewan, irrigation requires a large electrical input, and within the current electrical utility landscape, any new demand exacerbates the use of fossil fuels. With cost decreases, renewable energy is increasingly techno-economically viable. Using HOMER Pro software (Version 3.16.0), this study aims to quantify the viability of renewable energy to support irrigation projects. The evaluation includes the modelling of the three following scenarios: conventional, optimized and 100% renewable. Further, sensitivity has been considered for utility rates, grid interaction and carbon pricing. The lowest cost systems propose the inclusion of some renewable energy. Depending on the system architecture, the analyzed energy systems can be as low as $0.02/kWh or as high as $1.12/kWh. The efficacy of renewable integration is particularly dependent on the sensitivity surrounding grid interaction.