USE OF PV SOLAR PANELS FOR IRRIGATION IN SORGHUM BICOLOR CULTIVATION. HOW CAN SOLAR ENERGY HELP TO REDUCE CARBON FOOTPRINT OF ENERGY CROPS?

Water scarcity is a major problem in the Mediterranean basin. Spain is one of the most arid countries in the European Union; therefore growing energy crops as Sorghum bicolor will be only possible if enough water is available at reasonable economic and environmental cost. Water extraction from groundwater or surface water bodies, along with the application of pressure needed for irrigation, suppose great energy consumption and an increasing cost for crops. Irrigation agriculture is intensive in electricity consumption. Spain has undertaken a major modernization of irrigation in recent decades. Gravity irrigation, prevailing for years, has been replaced by sprinkler or drip irrigation. This transformation toward more modern and efficient irrigation however has been accompanied by a sharp increase in electricity consumption, thereby increasing the environmental impact associated to the agricultural sector. Irrigation increases greenhouse gases (GHG) footprint from energy crops, adding environmental burdens to common agriculture stages. Use of renewable energies to provide water, as solar photovoltaic (PV) energy, would contribute to reduce GHG emissions and fossil energy consumption, while improving environmental behavior of energy crops. This paper explores the GHG emission and energy savings when solar energy is introduced in agriculture to provide irrigation needs in energy crops.