The role of automated surface water distribution systems in energy-saving agriculture: A case study from central Iran's Arid Plateau

Study region: The NekooAbad Irrigation District in central Iran faces challenges due to inefficient surface water distribution. 82 million m³ of groundwater is extracted annually from 15,000 tube-wells, leading to decreased groundwater levels and increased energy consumption of 234 million kWh per year. Study focus: This study explores implementing automation in surface water distribution to reduce groundwater extraction and conserve energy. A hydraulic simulation model and a centralized Model Predictive Control approach were used to analyze the existing system and propose a recovery plan. The potential impact of automated surface water distribution on reducing groundwater extraction and energy conservation was evaluated through spatial assessment in GIS. New hydrological insights for the region: The results demonstrate that the introduction of automation can significantly improve surface water distribution and, accordingly, groundwater overexploitation and, consequently, energy conservation, particularly during water scarcity. Energy conservation increased by 42.3 %, 54.8 %, 56.2 %, and 57.7 % under normal conditions, with water shortages of less than 10 %, 10–15 %, and 15–20 %, respectively. However, as the surface water shortages intensified, the energy conservation rates decreased to 57.7 %, 43.7 %, 25.4 %, and 18.9 % for normal conditions, water shortages of 15–20 %, 20–30 %, 30–40 %, and over 40 %, respectively. The automation introduction effectively provided reliable surface water resources, prompting farmers to shut down pumping stations or reduce working hours. Even in extreme scenarios, the project achieved up to 18.9 % energy savings.