Land Use Assessment of Economic Crops for Photovoltaic Power Plant in Phetchabun Province

Abstract:

This research is aiming at the changing land use from agricultural land to photovoltaic power plant. Geographic information system (GIS) technology was used to indicate the unsuitable areas for five economic crops that are paddy, sugar cane, maize, cassava and para rubber. The assess cost, income, and CO₂ emission of the economic crops and photovoltaic power plant are the major factors for the unsuitable agricultural land deciding that will be changed to build photovoltaic power plant. The results found that the unsuitable areas for the 5 economic crops are 241,142 rai and the average solar irradiance is 17.6 MJ/m².day for this areas which is suitable to build the photovoltaic power plant. The profit/losing of paddy, sugar cane, maize, cassava and para rubber in the suitable areas are-1,193 baht/ton, 33 baht/ton, 85 baht/ton, 259 baht/ton and-9,150 baht/ton, respectively while photovoltaic power plant cost and income are 4.12 baht/kWh and 5.65 baht/kWh respectively. CO₂ emission of paddy, sugar cane, maize, cassava, para rubber and photovoltaic power plant are 2,315 kgCO₂eq/ton_paddy, 37.15 kgCO₂eq/ton, 256.12 kgCO₂eq/ton, 29.07 kgCO₂eq/ton, 153 kgCO₂eq/ton and-0.5743 kgCO₂eq/kWh, respectively. From these results, land use changing from economic crops planting in unsuitable areas to build photovoltaic power plant is appropriate and worth in the environmental and the economic aspect.

• Periodical: Applied Mechanics and Materials (Volume 839)
• Pages: 119-123
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.839.119
• Online since: June 2016
• Authors: Teerarat Chiramakara, Prapita Thanarak*
• Keywords: GIS, Land Use, Photovoltaic Power Plant

References

[1] Department of Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency. Ministry of Energy. Thailand Alternative Energy Situation 2014. Available from http: /www. dede. go. th/ download/ state_58/sit_57_58/Thailand%20Alternative%20Energy%20 Situation%202014. pdf.

[2] Chada Narongrit. (2004). Environmental Geographic Information System. The Faculty of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment. Naresuan University.

[3] Chada Narongrit. (2014). Application of Geographic Information System in suitability area analysis for Para rubber cultivation. Naresuan University.

[4] FAO. 1983. Guidelines: Land Evaluation for Rainfed Agriculture. FAO Soils Bulletin 52. [ISBN 92-5-101455-8]. Rome (Italy): Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

DOI: 10.2172/1329289

[5] Thanyalak Iamnarongrit and Kanlaya Damrongsadsiri. (2014). Geo-informatics Technology for Land Suitability of Paddy Field in Lopburi Province Journal of Remote Sensing and GIS Association of Thailand. pp.65-73.

[6] The Joint Graduate School of Energy and Environment. (2012). The greenhouse gas inventory report of agricultural sector. King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi Bnagkok.

[7] Nut Kumthorn. (2013). Application of Geographic Information System in suitability area analysis for Para rubber cultivation. geoinfotech (2013).

[8] Department of Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency, Ministry of Energy. Development and Investment in Renewable Energy. Production Handbook, Series 2 : Solar Energy, p.3.

[9] Office of Agricultural Economics, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives. Available from http: /http: /www. oae. go. thISBN 978-616-358-084-9.

[10] The Energy Policy and Planning Office, Ministry of Energy. Available from http: /www. eppo. go. th/ power/fit-seminar/Fit_2558. pdf.