Economic efficiency of solar panel implementation in irrigated agriculture: Cost assessment, comparative cost analysis and economic justification

This study aimed to assess the economic efficiency of implementing photovoltaic (PV) systems in irrigated agriculture, taking into account the technical, financial and environmental aspects of their application. To achieve this objective, the energy efficiency levels of pumping stations, the cost of PV system installation, and mechanisms of government support were analysed. The findings showed that the introduction of solar energy in irrigation complexes reduced average electricity costs to USD 0.05-0.12 per kWh, compared to USD 0.20-0.35 for diesel generators and USD 0.10-0.30 for centralised electricity supply. It was determined that the average payback period of PV systems in irrigated farming is 5-8 years, which is significantly shorter than for diesel generators, which are not cost-effective due to high operating expenses. The research confirmed that the use of modern PV systems combined with intelligent pumps reduced energy consumption of irrigation units by 20-30%, increasing their autonomy and operational stability. Environmental impact analysis demonstrated that PV systems contributed to a 60-80% reduction in CO₂ emissions compared to conventional energy sources, which is a crucial factor in the transition to sustainable agricultural production. It was established that subsidy programmes, the Net Metering mechanism, and concessional loans helped reduce initial capital investment and encouraged farming enterprises to adopt solar power plants. Based on the findings, recommendations were developed for optimising financial incentive mechanisms for the implementation of PV systems in irrigated agriculture, improving the technological parameters of PV installations, and utilising digital platforms for energy management. In practice, the results can be used to justify public-private partnership projects for the construction of solar power stations at irrigation pumping facilities