Sustainable energy for agricultural irrigation in Ethiopia: techno-economic and life cycle analysis of solar versus diesel pumps

Abstract This research presents a techno-economic and environmental life cycle assessment (LCA) comparison between diesel water pumps (DWP) and solar water pumps (SWP) for smallholder irrigation in Ethiopia. To evaluate long-term operational sustainability amid volatile fossil fuel markets, local hydrologic conditions, and rural decarbonization targets, the study uses an integrated three-stage simulation architecture of the CLIMWAT database, CROPWAT, and PVsyst. To deliver the required annual irrigation water volume for a 9-month double irrigation season, we use a 9.6 PV array with a 79% performance ratio. The dynamic 20-year projection period Net Present Cost (NPC) analysis indicates that the SWP system stands at $80,065, securing a net lifetime savings of a 38% reduction in cost compared to DWP. Financial feasibility metrics confirm SWP’s strong investment returns, effectively yielding an Internal Rate of Return (IRR) of 16%. From a 20-year environmental lifecycle perspective, the SWP system eliminates 9.90 t CO 2 per year, but its upstream embedded manufacturing debt is 9,144.10 kg CO 2 -e, which secures a net lifetime climate mitigation of a 95% footprint reduction. These empirical findings confirm that SWP systems offer a technically reliable, financially advantageous, and environmentally resilient framework for enhancing energy-water-food security and climate adaptation across Ethiopia.