Application of Wind Energy to Withdraw Groundwater for Irrigation Management

Increases in greenhouse gases emissions have encouraged the replacement of fossil fuels with renewable energy sources. This paper investigates the potential of wind energy as a renewable resource for producing agricultural water in Eghlid city, Iran. The purpose of the optimization model herein considered is to maximize the net benefit from crop production by selecting an optimal cropping pattern. This paper's results demonstrate that wind energy can be efficiently applied to provide irrigation water and optimize cropping patterns. Specifically, the application of wind energy to withdraw irrigation water increases agricultural production benefits in the amount of 1,254 million Rials (US$45,000). (C) 2016 American Society of Civil Engineers.