Demand Response & Agriculture

How it Works

From a Demand Response perspective, enabling agricultural irrigation systems to respond to demand response events can take a variety of forms, from shutting off one or more water pumps at specific times or turning off certain water delivery elements in response to events. Pumps and pivots can be completely shut down during peak demand times without compromising customers’ comfort or safety, unlike some DR-enabled residential systems, which impact the customer experience directly. High rates of irrigation also coincide with summer’s high peak demand. Incentivizing farmers to shift their crop-watering schedule to a less congested time can significantly ease grid strain and free up capacity.

In addition to any financial incentives that may be associated with DR-program participation, choosing specific pumps to shut off at certain times can enable a more strategic irrigation approach. Some technologies allow farmers to set flexible schedules for their irrigation system—similar to a residential customer controlling home heating with a smart thermostat. This aligns well with DR-program participation and empowers a proactive approach to water and energy consumption.

What to Consider

Demand response-enabled pumps and pivots are not the only solution used to drive down water and electrical consumption at peak times. Regional stakeholders are also exploring precision agriculture and deficit irrigation for future implementation. Precision agriculture leverages technology, such as GPS and drones, to shift from a uniform approach to a data-driven system that ensures a specific portion of the field receives a specific amount of water—at a specific time. Deficit irrigation is a strategy for using water more efficiently, with water pumped into a reservoir at off-peak times to be stored and distributed to crops during periods of peak demand. While farming and demand response may not be the first connection that comes to mind, the daily use of agricultural equipment may create a new opportunity to reduce peak demand and simultaneously produce healthy crops and a healthy grid.