Nghe An farmers proactively save electricity during hot season
Summer with prolonged heat waves, the demand for electricity in rural areas also increases, especially in agricultural production. Many farmers in Nghe An have proactively sought ways to save electricity, reducing production costs.
Smart production, energy saving
On the vegetable field of Minh Luong commune (Quynh Luu), Mr. Ho Van Thuong - a farmer specializing in vegetable production shared: "My family specializes in growing more than 2 sao of vegetables. Previously, using a hand-held irrigation system, the irrigation time was long, so the electricity cost increased, and the efficiency was low. Since switching to installing a sprinkler irrigation system, not only has it saved water, but it has also reduced the monthly electricity bill, and it is no longer as difficult as before."
Mr. Thuong’s story is not unique. In the vegetable fields of Quynh Luu and Dien Chau districts, most of the area has been invested in installing sprinkler irrigation systems. According to the people, irrigation with sprinklers has many advantages, such as saving water, saving electricity and watering more evenly, the water drops do not affect the plants, especially right after planting.
At forestry seedling nurseries in Nghia Dan, Tan Ky, Yen Thanh, Thanh Chuong districts, many people also apply energy-saving irrigation solutions. In Tan Ky district, some households that grow forestry seedlings in Tan Huong commune have applied smart irrigation, bringing many benefits, including saving electricity costs.
Mr. Tran Van Tu's family in Chau Nam hamlet, Tan Huong commune works in forestry nursery business. His family invested 20 million VND to install a smart irrigation system for a forestry nursery with an area of 500m2.2.
"One of the biggest advantages of smart irrigation systems is the ability to save water and reduce electricity costs. This system is designed to distribute water efficiently, avoiding waste and ensuring the correct water level for each irrigation area. Another big advantage is that the system can be controlled and adjusted remotely via mobile applications, helping to monitor and manage the garden anywhere," Mr. Tu shared.
In households, many farmers have learned how to use electricity reasonably: not pumping water during peak hours, using energy-saving LED lights in barns, investing in solar lights, or solar panels to operate cooling fans or lighting production areas. Currently, many residential areas and inter-family groups contribute funds to invest in installing lighting systems on roads, to reduce electricity costs, residential areas apply technological electrical equipment to automatically control electricity, so that lights are turned on and off reasonably in each season.
Mr. Nguyen Duy Hoan, in the inter-family group on Road 7B, Nam Thanh Commune (Yen Thanh), said: His inter-family group has 8 households, 3 years ago invested in a street lighting system including 7 lamp posts, each pole is equipped with 100W LED bulbs. To save electricity, the inter-family group installed an automatic control meter, accordingly, in the summer, the lights are turned on from 6:45 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.; in the winter, they are turned on from 6:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Thanks to that, the inter-family group's monthly electricity bill is only about 100,000 VND (each household spends less than 15,000 VND/month on the public lighting system).
It is known that many residential groups and hamlets in rural areas of Nghe An have invested in installing solar-powered light bulbs. Although the initial cost is higher than that of grid-powered electrical equipment, there is no electricity cost afterwards and the lights can stay on all night without worrying about electricity costs.
Mr. Tran Dinh Tu - Director of Quynh Luu Electricity, said: During the process of working at the grassroots level and meeting customers, in addition to professional work, the unit's staff also regularly propagates and guides people on electricity saving solutions.
Accordingly, instruct customers to use electrical appliances in the home reasonably and effectively. Remind everyone to form the habit of turning off electrical appliances when not needed; or use appropriate electrical appliances, especially with high-power appliances such as air conditioners, water heaters (set the air conditioner at 26 degrees Celsius; do not turn on the water heater for a long time, but turn off the power after use; unplug electrical appliances when not in use: TV, electric fan, wifi network equipment...).
Renewable Energy – The Solution of the Future
In rural areas, for many years now, ecological pig farming models have appeared and some cooperatives have installed solar power systems, bringing about clear results.
Mr. Nguyen Sy Binh - Director of Thanh Thuy Commune Forestry and General Services Cooperative (Thanh Chuong), said: "Since installing the solar power system, the cooperative uses almost free electricity during the day to operate the irrigation system, lighting and seedling soil preparation machines. Not only does it save millions of VND in electricity bills each month, the cooperative is also more secure because it does not worry about power overload during the hot season."
Recently, Nghe An province has issued a policy to encourage the development of self-produced and self-consumed rooftop solar power. Specifically, the Provincial People's Committee issued Document No. 11036/UBND-CN dated December 10, 2024 requesting relevant departments, branches, localities and units to implement a number of tasks to develop self-produced and self-consumed rooftop solar power in the province. Accordingly, developing self-produced and self-consumed rooftop solar power solves two problems: Reducing electricity costs for households, especially restaurants and hotels, and solving the problem of overloading the local power grid.
In the context of increasingly extreme weather, electricity is not only a vital factor in agricultural production but also a measure of farmers’ adaptability and creativity. Saving electricity not only helps reduce costs but also contributes to reducing the load on the national power system and reducing greenhouse gas emissions – small actions but of great significance in protecting the environment and developing sustainable agriculture./.
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