Energy Audit in Sprinkler Irrigation Systems: Methodology and Application

Pressurized irrigation is employed to enhance water efficiency and expand cultivated areas within limited water resources, but it results in a substantial rise in energy consumption within the agricultural sector. Consequently, the need to conserve water and energy arises as a critical requirement for pressurized irrigation. One effective approach to address this issue is the implementation of energy audits, which identify opportunities for energy savings within irrigation systems. However, there is a scarcity of studies that examine energy audits specifically in irrigation systems. Thus, the objective of this research is to present a methodology for conducting energy audits in sprinkle irrigation systems, encompassing all three defined levels of analysis. Additionally, the proposed methodology is applied to two case studies. It is worth noting that due to insufficient data monitoring in energy management and sprinkle irrigation systems, a comprehensive energy audit could not be fully executed. Nonetheless, conducting a preliminary audit can still elucidate the causes of energy losses and facilitate future planning for higher-level energy audits.