Solar energy groundwater pumping: A sustainable solution to energy squeeze in smallholders’irrigation in India

India′s smallholder agriculture boomed with supplemental irrigation made possible by diesel and electric pumps. Nevertheless, the smallholders' irrigation is under siege from an energy squeeze with deteriorating farm power supply and manifold increase in diesel prices. This energy squeeze undermines the adoption of broad range precision irrigation technologies and profitable productivity of small holdings. However, the use of solar energy particularly in groundwater pumping and use of pressured irrigation could improve energy access, reduce fossil fuels 2consumptions, as average incident solar radiation over India's geographical area is of 4-7 kWh/m/ day with 250-300 clear sunshine days/year. To promote solar energy use under the prevailing solar radiation conditions and depth to water level scenario of groundwater a suitable groundwater pumping system model is required to fulfil the irrigation needs. This paper describes a solar photovoltaic groundwater pumping model suitable for small farm irrigation ether by traditional methods of irrigations or by pressured method, as it generates pressure heads of 98 -147kPa when 2incident solar radiation ranged from 400- 800W/m, the solar radiation condition which prevails over its geographical area between 9.00-14.00 hrs round the year