Carbon footprint and economic viability analysis of water pumping systems in a semi-arid region, Morocco

Today, the world faces a significant challenge: climate change, mainly driven by greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. These changes are seen in global warming and seasonal shifts, worsened by population growth and shifting lifestyles. In this context, effective management of water resources is vital. Renewable energies, especially photovoltaics (PVs), are emerging as a sustainable solution, particularly suited to arid and semi-arid regions with ample sunlight. This technology lowers energy costs and GHG emissions, providing an option that is both cost-effective and environmentally friendly. This article presents a comparative cost analysis of two pumping systems using different energy sources: PVs and electricity. The study, based on a 7.1 kW pumping system, indicates that PV pumping is not only the most environmentally friendly option, emitting only 1.14 tonnes of carbon dioxide (tCO₂)/year compared with 7.8 tCO₂/year from the electricity pumping system, but also the most economically feasible, with a cost of 0.11 Moroccan dirham per cubic metre of water (MAD/m³), compared with 1.48 MAD/m³ for the grid-powered system life-cycle cost analysis and evaluation of carbon dioxide emissions over the system’s operational lifetime, provide a comprehensive comparison to show importance of economic and environmental impacts.