Application of Photovoltaic Pumping Technology for Growing Paddy Rice in China

Located in north-east China, Hei Longjiang Province is the largest paddy rice-growing province in China. It plays an important role in guaranteeing food security for the whole country. Irrigation is essential for growing rice in the area and a large area of paddy rice is irrigated with groundwater pumping. The province is blessed with long hours of sunshine and is rich in solar energy. Therefore, a solar photovoltaic (PV) pumping system is an ideal solution for groundwater pumping for growing paddy rice in the province. A PV pumping system can not only save fuel and electricity, but can also achieve green growth and sustainable development. A pilot study for application of photovoltaic pumping irrigation for paddy rice was carried out in Hong Wei Farm in Hei Longjiang Province in 2014. This paper summarizes the pilot study of the PV pumping system in its technical, economic and environmental aspects. The results show that the photovoltaic pumping system is a solution for groundwater pumping to grow paddy rice in the region. Copyright (c) 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.