AgroSolar Irrigation System

Target SDGs

Market Suggested Retail Price

$2,401.16

Target Users (Target Impact Group)

Small and Medium-sized Enterprises

Distributors / Implementing Organizations

Sunculture

Competitive Landscape

Direct competitors include EOS International Drip Irrigation and Driptech Micro-Irrigation Kit.

Regions

Africa, East Africa

Countries

Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia

Manufacturing/Building Method

The product was made-to-order according to farm size and layout.

Intellectural Property Type

Trade Secret

User Provision Model

Users can purchase the product directly from SunCulture.

Distributions to Date Status

SunCulture has sold over 450 AgroSolar Irrigation kits since 2012 field trials.

Design Specifications

The complete kit has solar panels that power a submersible direct current (DC) solar pump which fills a water tank. A control valve allows farmers to use the stored water, which passes through a filter and is delivered to the crop root zones via drip irrigation tape. The kit includes PVC (polyvinyl chloride) layflat pipes and all required connectors, fittings, and valves for the irrigation system and the solar panels, 12 foot security stand for solar panels, electrical cable and HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) pipe for the solar pump system.

Product Schematics

Technical Support

The manufacturer can provide installation and training for an additional cost, as well as technical support.

Replacement Components

Unknown

Lifecycle

Unknown

Manufacturer Specified Performance Parameters

The product was designed to allow farmers to grow higher quality crops and increase yields by 300% or more. Note that prices on the image are in KES.

[caption id="attachment_23803" align="alignnone" width="300"] Revenue per crop[/caption]

Vetted Performance Status

Unknown

Safety

No known safety hazards are related to this product.

Complementary Technical Systems

The SunCulture Drip Irrigation Kit was a drip irrigation add-on for this product available for purchase from SunCulture. By visiting the farm, irrigation engineers can provide a survey and soil report, with an additional cost ranging from 24.20 to 43.56 USD. Installation and training are also available at additional cost.

Academic Research and References

Compliance with regulations

Unknown

Other Information

• Youtube video of Agrosolar Irrigation System.
• The company has plans to expand operations to Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.
• The kit is for smallholder farmers in Africa, Kenya specifically. This system is intended for small farms ranging from 1/8 to 1 acre. Although it can be used on any crop, it is recommended for beans, kale, cabbage, carrots, green capsicum, tomato, onion, and red capsicum. Manufacturer suggests that farmers need little or no training to use the system.