ECONOMIC DEMAND RESPONSE MANAGEMENT FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE BY HYBRID POWER SYSTEMS

Traditionally, the emphasis of agricultural sector has increasing revenue through maximum crop yield. Energy and water costs are significantly less as compared to equipment's, thereby generally ignored. However, irrigation energy costs are growing and can be worsened with diminishing water levels. This leads motivation to many farmers to reconnoitre ecological irrigation energy practices. Presently, farmsteads are converting into net electricity generators along with increased renewables penetration into the power grid; thereby involve other loads to maintain grid balance. Agriculture sector can be rationalized to operate large extents of renewable energy which provides sustainable flexibility to the power grid. In this context, demand management strategy is developed based on the present and future needs of grid, electricity consumption/generating farm equipment that supports the agricultural sector during this conversion. Optimization outcomes reveal that the strategy enables farmsteads in extending their services to the power grid consecutively unlocking new revenue options.