Smart Irrigation Technologies
Smart Irrigation Technologies use an array of soil data and sensors to irrigate precisely, maintaining a consistent soil moisture level.
Sector
Electric Benefit
Agricultural
Commercial
Residential
Energy Efficiency
(Reduces kWh)
Demand Response
(Ability to Shift Load?)
Water Benefits
Reduces Water Use
Technology Readiness
Commercially Available
How Does It Work
Evapotranspiration (ET) is the amount of water that is lost from the soil through evaporation and plant use. ET irrigation controllers re-adjust themselves automatically as often as needed based on sensor inputs.
Built in logic has solar radiation values for every micro climate, permanently stored onboard in memory, by postal zip code or latitude. Each system also has entered data about each zone to be watered: soil type, plant type, irrigation type (sprinklers or drip), and slope.
Soil Moisture Sensors use capacitance to measure the water content of soil (by measuring the dielectric permittivity of the soil, which is a function of the water content). Sensors are inserted into the soil, and the volumetric water content of the soil is reported in percent.