How should I assess wind power when irrigation demand peaks in the dry season?

The short answer

Match the irrigation season to wind generation during that same period. A good annual wind estimate can conceal a shortage in the months when crops need water. Build the comparison around required water volumes and pumping head, then translate the actual pump duty into electrical demand. Use site wind data for those months and include the supply arrangement that covers a calm period or an urgent watering window.

Use the irrigation calendar

Identify crop stages, permitted watering times and the consequences of delaying a pumping cycle. Separate the normal schedule from unusually dry periods. A pumping total averaged across the entire year spreads demand over months when it may be absent, making the energy match appear easier than it is. Water-source restrictions and agronomic requirements come from the project team, not from a turbine power class.

Calculate demand within the relevant months

For illustration, 60 m³/day over a 120-day watering season requires 7,200 m³. If the measured electrical requirement is 0.4 kWh/m³ at the relevant operating point, pumping energy is 2,880 kWh for that season. This assumed value must not be transferred to a different head, pipe network or pump. Compare it with usable wind energy over those same 120 days, including timing and conversion losses.

Try an unfavorable sequence

Run a scenario with several low-wind days during peak demand. Show available tank reserves, the maximum permissible delay, the alternative supply and the catch-up pumping capacity. If pumping can move to another hour without affecting crop requirements, account for that flexibility explicitly. Do not treat all irrigation demand as shiftable just because a controller can start and stop a motor.

Compare alternatives on the same water duty

Assess wind, solar and hybrid proposals using the same required volume, pressure, service period and continuity requirement. Include the additional equipment that makes each option deliver water when required. Wind may contribute useful energy outside daylight hours at some sites, but that must be demonstrated by the resource profile. The procurement decision should follow the seasonal water-service comparison, with any remaining deficit clearly assigned.