Solar water pumping technology
Innovation Type:
Water-Energy-Food
Product Segment:
Energy – Farm Production & Mechanization
Country of Incorporation:
Zambia
Country of Implementation:
Zambia
Seeking Investment:
Yes, $1 million USD
Financing Goals:
Seeking equity (angel investor, venture capital or private equity)
Contact Name:
Jackson Mukanda
Contact Email:
Website:
Challenges
The agricultural sector remains important in Zambia and contributes about 6% to national GDP. The sector provides about 22.3% of employment opportunities in the country, with 4.3% in the formal sector and 18% in the informal sector. Smallholder farmers dominate the sector and production is largely maize centric and rain fed. This production system has left the country, particularly rural smallholders, vulnerable to climate variability and change.
The smallholder farmers have faced challenges using the hand pump, the treadle pump, and engine powered water pumps because it depends on the availability of labor and fuel, which can be a constraint on expanded irrigation and high cost of fuel.
Solutions
The solar-powered water pump serves as a solution and viable alternative to the fuel engine water pumps, hand pump, and treadle pumps. One of the applications of this technology is used in irrigation systems for farming.
This system is environmentally friendly and uses green energy. This system creates more efficient farming as smallholder farmers have more control over their water usage and thus increases crop productivity. Through the use of the technology the smallholder farmers will save over 1,000 USD per year in energy cost, their crop yield will increase minimum by 30%. This solution is made available to the smallholder farmers through a rent-to-own installment payment plan.
