From diesel to daylight
A solar-powered electric pump replaces the diesel engine at the canal. Because it is electric, it can be switched remotely, and it only ever switches after the farmer approves.
Why replace the diesel pump
No fuel to buy
Fuel and lubricants for main-season rice averaged about 136 THB per rai in 2024/25(OAE, 2024/25 survey). A solar pump has no fuel cost. We expect the dry-season saving to be larger, but we have not found a published figure and will measure it.
It can be switched remotely
A diesel engine pump has to be started by hand. An electric pump can be switched by a LoRaWAN command, which is what lets a sensor reading turn into irrigation without a trip to the field.
No combustion
No diesel burned while pumping, no engine oil or filters, and much less noise.
The trade-off
A solar pump costs more up front than a diesel pump, and it only runs in daylight. The fuel saving pays back the upfront cost over time.
How it operates
Solar-following
The pump runs whenever the panels produce enough power. Simple, with no commands needed.
Remote-activated
For AWD, NaLog Agent proposes a re-flood when the sensor shows the field has dried to the threshold. The farmer approves on their phone, and a LoRaWAN command switches the pump on. A command sent at night waits for the sun.
We expect daylight-only pumping to be a minor constraint for AWD, since re-flooding a paddy over daylight hours is normal practice.
NaLog Agent cannot switch a pump by itself. Every pump action is a proposal that requires the farmer’s explicit approval before any command is sent.
Sources
- Office of Agricultural Economics (OAE) Regional Offices 1–12 (2026). Marginal abatement cost study, main-season rice 2024/25 (in Thai). oae.go.th