Economic and Environmental Feasibility of Solar Photovoltaic Systems for Sustainable Tobacco Curing in Zimbabwe

Abstract

This study presents a comprehensive economic and environmental analysis of the transition from conventional wood-fired to solar photovoltaic (PV) integrated tobacco curing systems in Zimbabwe. Using a Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) framework on data from 50 stratified randomly sampled farmers in the Chikomba district, Zimbabwe.The study evaluates economic feasibility through Benefit-Cost Ratio (BCR), Net Present Value (NPV), and Payback Period (PP), alongside environmental performance measured by Fuel Efficiency Gain (FEG). Results in CBA showed that solar PV system, despite a higher initial investment ($7,500 vs. $2,500), offer a high CBR of 26.38after 3 years whilst the convectional system offered 3.5. This demonstrated that the solar system is a more profitable investment. NPV showed that the solar PV system reach a higher cumulative of $29,642 after 3 years compared to the conventional system which achieved only $11,183. FEG was higher for solar PV system as wood consumption is reduced by approximately 128.6% providing notable environmental benefits. The payback period for both systems was 1 year with solar PV system having lower operational costs than convectional system. These findings demonstrate that solar PV curing systems offer a sustainable and economic way to cure tobacco for Zimbabwe’s tobacco sector, supporting national goals for increased sustainability and environmental stewardship.