Spanish irrigators encourage the use of photovoltaics. FENACORE

Since the special rates deletion in 2008, the term of power has increased by more than 1,000%, causing the average increase of the invoice is greater than 100%, making unviable much of the systems modernized irrigation, They are saving water, but demand more energy.

Therefore, the National Federation of irrigators communities (FENACORE) has promoted a European scale project in order to promote the use of photovoltaic energy in pumping and distribution of irrigation water as a measure to offset the sharp rise in electricity in the sector. The project, which was funded by the European Union with five million euros, will allow irrigators savings of up to 60% on your energy bill.

This project, with the name of Maslowaten is done in close collaboration with the Polytechnic University of Madrid as well as with companies and universities in other countries, it has allowed to raise a total of five solar power stations spread over irrigable areas of Spain (2), Italy, Portugal and Morocco.

These integrated-solar by plantations located in small movable plates that rotate with the movement of the sun to increase their performance- surfaces being capable of producing an average of 200 kilowatt photovoltaic power, which means an average saving of up to 60% electricity once written off the investment in the plates and up to 30% in water consumption.

Thus, Maslowaten, which started a pilot small-scale developed in Candela well Alto de Vinalopó (Community of Valencia), now represents a qualitative and quantitative leap by allowing demonstrate large-scale profitability of photovoltaics plus reference to irrigators throughout the Mediterranean, which they share with the Spanish the need to reduce the costs of high energy consumption of modernized systems serving.

A measure to be considered by the Administration

The results show that exploit possible natural resources available in each irrigation area for the production of renewable energy for their own consumption, is a viable option to help offset the extra cost of over 300 million extra euros that Spanish irrigators are paying to power measure in these last eight years, on the occasion of the tariff deficit.
With figures Maslowaten project on the table, irrigators ask the Administration to articulate the normative framework to not only advance the modernization of irrigation systems according to double efficiency: water and energy, but also boost the production of energy distributed for their own consumption in order to reduce the costs associated with the transport of electricity and thus make effective reduction of tariffs.

While it is true that recently a more advantageous electricity tax and a reduction of modules, which can be an average annual savings of 30%, complementary solutions to compensate for all the extra cost borne by the sector, based mainly on needed was achieved regulated fixed costs.

Hence this European initiative to boost photovoltaics, will join other creative measures promoted by Fenacore; how to prioritize the use of the uneven terrain to generate hydroelectric power -the pilot tests conducted at the Royal Acequia and the Canal of Aragon and Catalonia they are already generating annual savings of nearly 1.8 million- or joint power purchase through a central purchasing, which is already enabling savings of 150,000 euros per year.

All these measures are only partial solutions to reduce costs and that what really matters is to pay for the power actually used, not the maximum power contracted during the twelve months of the year, although pumping stations are not operating. It is also crucial to further enhance the application of new technologies in modernizing our irrigation systems to get the most efficient use of water and energy, so that we can produce more with less water.

Andrés del Campo, President of FENACORE