Conference Program > Workshop "Irrigation and Energy" (Irr&Energy ws) (14/10/2015)

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General Information

Side event title: "Irrigation and Energy”

Side event organizer: Gilles Belaud, Supagro/G-Eau and Luciano Mateos, CSIC Cordoba

Time-slot: Wednesday, 14th October 2015, 9:-15:30

Contact: Gilles Belaud

Content of the session

Introduction: Compared to the traditional gravity-fed irrigation systems, most modern systems are energy consumers. Irrigation energy footprint and cost are increasing steadily. Therefore, it is not surprising that, more and more, farmers and water users associations are engaged in active research and negotiations to reduce energy consumption, increase energy efficiency, and reduce energy costs and tariffs. On the other hand, on-farm energy generation, such as hydraulic energy, solar energy, geo-energy and bio-energy, is another option that farmers and water users associations are investigating and testing to reduce their energy dependence and cost.

More specific energy saving measures are: optimization of the design and operation of pumping stations to minimize investment and energy cost; identification and correction of critical points in the network that are responsible for extra energy consumption; network sectoring for water rotation by grouping hydrants according to homogeneous energy demand.

Irrigation & energy is therefore a multi-faceted multiple-actor issue. Technical, economic and environmental aspects are linked in many ways involving farmers, water users associations, energy suppliers, engineers, and other stakeholders.

The objective of the workshop is to open a forum where researchers can show their research outcomes, where all actors can discuss their interests, where innovation finds a medium to flow and spawn.

The workshop could also be the seed of a new working group on irrigation & energy.