What this model does: Estimates the annual financial return of solar-powered irrigation systems for smallholder farmers. It compares yield improvements, additional growing seasons, and cost savings against capital and maintenance costs.
How to use it: Select baseline irrigation context to set reference conditions. Adjust plot size and crop value to match your context. Choose a payment method and adjust financing terms. The technology reliability slider accounts for cloudy days, maintenance downtime, and water source limitations.
Technology specifications and costs
Coverage: ha/pump
Yield increase: +%
Coverage: ha/pump
Yield increase: +%
Coverage: ha/system
Yield increase: +%
Operating parameters
Lifespan: All systems 7 years
Payment method and financing
No deposit required. Farmer owns asset after completing all payments.
Full cash payment upfront. Lowest total cost, but requires access to lump sum capital.
Best ROI, but highest access barrier for smallholders.
Financing summary by technology
( )
Total cost:
Monthly payment:
Deposit:
✓ Affordability check passed:
Baseline irrigation context
This sets the counterfactual — what the farmer achieves without solar irrigation:
Baseline crop yield: kg/ha/season
Growing seasons without solar:/year
Max seasons solar can reach:–/year (by technology)
Income gains are calculated as the difference between what the farmer earns with and without solar irrigation. A higher baseline yield means each percentage-point improvement is worth more in absolute terms.
Additional growing season
Baseline: season/year ()
With additional season (adjusted for % reliability):
• 200W Pump: → seasons
• 400W Pump: → seasons
• 200W + Drip: → seasons
Solar irrigation provides reliable water supply during dry seasons, enabling year-round cultivation. Groundwater or surface water availability determines feasibility.
Baseline conditions
Base yield: kg/ha/season
Seasons:/year
Crop value:$/kg
⚠️ Reliability concern: At % reliability, benefits are significantly reduced. Consider investigating water source constraints, solar irradiance, or maintenance capacity before investing.
Financial comparison: ha plot
Net annual benefit
Annual ROI
Annual economics breakdown
Income increase breakdown
Yield improvement (+%):
Additional season:
Total income increase:
Annual benefits
Income increase:
Cost savings:
Annual costs
Capital cost:
Maintenance:
Seasons with irrigation:
Total cost ():
Payback period:
Baseline agricultural context
Irrigation method:
Base crop yield: kg/ha/season
Growing seasons: /year
Crop value: $/kg
Household income: $/month
Impact with solar irrigation
Yield increase: +-% (at % reliability)
Growing seasons: Up to seasons
Water efficiency: 2.5-5.0x improvement over manual
Environmental: Zero diesel emissions
Evidence strength: High (Kenya RCTs + deployment data)
Model assumptions: Equipment lifespan 7 years for all systems. Financing terms based on agricultural finance market data from East Africa. Technology reliability factor adjusts both yield improvements and additional season benefits. Maintenance costs scale with number of units deployed. Additional growing season benefits depend on water source availability (groundwater or surface water).
