Energy and environmental performances of hybrid photovoltaic irrigation systems in Mediterranean intensive and super-intensive olive orchards.

Over the last decades, traditional olive production has been converted to intensive and super-intensive cultivation systems, characterized by high plant density and irrigation. Although this conversion improves product quality and quantity, it requires a larger amount of energy input. The new contributions in this paper are, first, an analysis of the energy and environmental performance of two commercial-scale high peak-power hybrid photovoltaic irrigation systems (HPVIS) installed at intensive and super-intensive Mediterranean olive orchards; second, an analysis of PV hybrid solutions, comparing PV hybridization with the electric power grid and with diesel generators; and finally, a comparison of the environmental benefits of HPVIS with conventional power sources. Energy and environmental performances were assessed through energy and carbon payback times (EPBT and CPBT). The results show EPBT of 1.98 and 4.58 years and CPBT of 1.86 and 9.16 years for HPVIS in Morocco and Portugal, respectively. Moreover, the HPVIS were able to achieve low emission rates, corresponding to 48 and 103 g CO

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