Rural development research

In response to the challenge posed by escalating increases in the amount of energy needed for irrigation in developing countries, this report analyzes current energy consumption in irrigation, renewable energy technologies, and relevant food policy issues facing developing country governments. The authors find that developing groundwater supplies entails twice the energy costs of developing surface water supplies, and that the latter can be more efficiently manufactured, installed, and operated in developing countries. In determining the amount of energy needed to manufacture, install, and operate various irrigation systems, it is found that sprinkler and trickler systems are competitive only when pumping lifts are very high (100 meters). Discussion of renewable energy sources covers biomass systems such as direct combustion and gasification, as well as solar and wind sources. Currently, agricultural production of biomass fuel is a problem due to the fuel/food conflict in developing countries. The potential of solar power, e.g., photovoltaic cells, is also discussed. Unfortunately, solar costs remain high. Finally, wind energy was found to be technically more suitable for developin

Source: DEC abstract, PN-AAJ-628 (1980). This is the source's own text, not a cited summary of the documents.