15kW Energy Storage Container for Agricultural Irrigation

Is agricultural irrigation a natural-integrated form of energy storage?

Efficacy peaks when local renewable shares reach 65%–70%, highlighting crucial spatiotemporal windows. Our study positions agricultural irrigation as a nature-integrated form of virtual energy storage, offering a pathway to enhance grid resilience and support low-carbon climate adaptation. Agricultural irrigation inevitably costs energy.

Can irrigation be a virtual energy storage reservoir?

By harnessing irrigation as a virtual energy storage reservoir, our framework shows agriculture's distinctive and scalable demand-side contribution to integrating intermittent renewables and advancing resilient, low-carbon grid management in global energy transitions.

What is the grain-water–energy–carbon nexus of irrigation system?

The grain–water–energy–carbon nexus of irrigation system, circled in grey, is developed through a process-based, bottom–up approach as detailed in Methods. Irrigation-related carbon emissions are closely tied to the composition of power generation—cleaner power grids lead to greener irrigation.

What percentage of irrigation-associated energy can be fulfilled by renewables?

Nationally, up to 92.3% of irrigation-associated energy (equivalent to 40.5 TWh) can be fulfilled by otherwise curtailed renewables, with regional adoption ranging from 71.7% to 100% (Supplementary Tables 2 and 3).