Integrated EcoStruxure Solar Powered Climate Controlled Greenhouse & Water Desalination Solutions

The villagers of Ezbit Abu Shahba, Negila have been facing critical energy-water-food nexus issues due to their geographical location, varying from water scarcity and food security to energy dependence.

• Water Scarcity for Agriculture: Farmlands primarily rely on inconsistent rainwater for irrigation, limiting agricultural output and crop diversity. Egypt is one of the most water-scarce countries globally, with its per capita share of water falling well below the water poverty line
   
• Food Insecurity/Limited Local Produce: A heavy dependence on external sources for most vegetable and fruit consumption due to insufficient local production. Moreover, the high salinity of groundwater and dry rocky soil which is affected by climate change is not fit for cultivation and limits the access to common vegetables like cucumbers & tomatoes creating a challenge of food scarcity for the residents.
   
•  Lack of Potable Water Access: Most villages face significant challenges in securing safe drinking water, relying on deep wells, jerrycans, or water trucks for domestic supply. As of 2015, 1.8 million people still lacked access to at least basic water in Egypt rural areas.
   
• Economic Vulnerability & Limited Livelihood: Residents, largely Bedouins, depend on traditional rain-fed agriculture and grazing, which are susceptible to climatic variations and offer limited economic diversification.

The primary aim of the project is to create and demonstrate a self-sustaining, replicable model that holistically addresses the energy, water, and food security challenges in arid, rural communities. This model is designed to be sustainable across three key dimensions: social, environmental, and economic (the "triple bottom line").

Specific Goals

To achieve this overarching aim, the project set out the following specific goals, categorized by their impact area:

1. Social Goals (People)

• To empower the local community by providing them with the skills and knowledge to operate and maintain the system independently.
• To ensure reliable access to safe drinking water for households by implementing a multi-stage filtration and UV treatment process.
• To improve food security by enabling sustainable agriculture through a solar-powered greenhouse with efficient irrigation and cooling.
• To build long-term community self-reliance, reducing dependency on external aid for basic needs like water and food.

2. Environmental Goals (Planet)

• To achieve energy independence for the water and food systems by relying entirely on solar power.
• To conserve precious water resources by minimizing waste through the collection and reuse of drainage water.
• To reduce the environmental footprint by eliminating the use of fossil fuels and mitigating groundwater depletion.

3. Economic Goals (Prosperity & Viability)

• To enhance agricultural productivity and crop yields through optimized, climate-controlled greenhouse conditions.
• To reduce the financial burden on the community by eliminating the costs associated with purchasing water.
• To ensure the long-term durability and efficiency of the infrastructure by using technologies (like the RO injection pump) that prolong system life and reduce maintenance needs.

Solutions

Eco-friendly solutions consist of a climate-controlled greenhouse and water desalination unit that are all powered by solar energy and managed by advanced irrigation systems. The solutions contribute to food security, utilize clean energy and preserve water resources by managing them responsibly and efficiently. 

Climate Controlled Greenhouse

The 320 m2 greenhouse consist of cooling pads, electrical fans that are smartly controlled. Additionally, the greenhouse is irrigated through a smart fertigation system and drip irrigation system is used. Due to the rocky nature of the land, an alternative soli system was made. 

Desalination Unit & Well

Due to climate change, rainfall patterns became seasonal and unexpected. Therefore, a water well of 150 m deep was made, from which water is pumped using solar power. The unit consists of multiple stages of filtration. The first stage is chlorine treatment followed by sand & carbon filters, then the water goes through reverse osmosis membranes at high pressure, followed by Ultra Violet treatment to ensure safe water for drinking. The water from the unit is used for both irrigation & drinking purposes. The capacity of the desalination system is 20 m3 of water per day and total solar power installed is 35 kW offgrid for both greenhouse and irrigation systems. 

Digital IoT Solution

Schneider Electric smart solar variable speed drives were used to  offer safe pump operation with built-in protections like dry pump protection, pump overload, tank-full detection, over-voltage and under-voltage fault protection. Since the drives can have a low operating voltage range, allowing for extended pumping hours, early in the morning and late in the evening. Through Schneider Electric EcoStruxure and IoT platform using gateways and power meters, water & energy systems are effectively managed and monitored real-time. Besides, dashboards, diagrams and reports are created from real-time data from which consumptions, Co2 emissions, money savings, and electrical parameters of the components are measured. Hence, better efficiency, more sustainable operations, energy & water conservation are achieved.

Training

Training and capacity building of the operators and local NGO were conducted on technical and business levels. As a result, a smooth operation is ensured and ability to generate revenue from greenhouse to sustain economic model of the project was developed. Training manuals & schematic diagrams were made along with operation manual. It is estimated that the project will indirectly impact 5,000 residents of Negila community.

• Integrated a Sustainable Energy-Water-Food System: Successfully combined solar power, water desalination, fertigation, and greenhouse farming into a single, closed-loop infrastructure to address community needs holistically.
• Provided Reliable Access to Clean Water and Food Security:
  • Delivered safe, UV-filtered drinking water to households.
  • Enabled sustainable agriculture and enhanced crop yields through a solar-powered irrigation and greenhouse cooling system.
• Achieved Energy Independence and Environmental Sustainability:
  • The entire system is powered by solar energy, eliminating reliance on fossil fuels.
  • Minimized water waste by collecting and reusing drainage water, reducing overall groundwater depletion.
• Empowered the Local Community with Skills and Self-Reliance: Provided direct training to the community on system maintenance (e.g., replacing filters), ensuring long-term self-sufficiency and ownership of the project.
• Created a Replicable and Resilient Model: Developed a successful, self-sustaining blueprint that can be replicated to support community development in other rural and arid regions.

The project is highly suitable for scaling up and replicating across different geographical and sectoral contexts due to its foundation in modular, market-driven technology, and standardized processes.

Technical Scalability & Availability: Scalability is inherent as the systems use market-available components & technology and clear blueprints. The systems are specifically designed to be resized according to community needs. The availability of a wide network of suppliers with broad geographical coverage minimizes procurement challenges for new sites.

Future Recommendation for Enhanced Scalability: The recommendation to use repurposed containers for solar panel installations (a "plug & play" technique) is a key innovation. This design saves land space and dramatically increases scalability due to its ease of deployment and lower civil works requirement.

Operational Replicability & Support: The established network streamlines replication:

Local Supplier Network: Allocation of a local network of suppliers for accessible spare parts and maintenance ensures that replications can immediately access a functioning supply chain.

Technical Guidance: The availability of manual guides and schematics in Arabic facilitates fast operator training and guidance, making the model immediately usable in other Arab-speaking contexts.

External Support: Access to a customer care center for Schneider Electric products & technical support from the community developer provides a crucial remote troubleshooting and advisory mechanism for replicated sites.

The most critical lessons from this case, valuable for other countries implementing the WEFE Nexus approach, lie in risk mitigation, institutional design, and integrated finance. The following where lessons learnt through our community development project:

1. Institutional Capacity and Governance

• Early & Sustained Engagement: Early engagement and formal legal agreements (MoUs) are vital for operations sustainability. The final legal MoU with the local NGO ensures a formal, documented handover of assets, clarifying responsibility for the projects’ components according to set terms and conditions.
• Strategic NGO Partnership: Selection of local NGO is based on area of expertise (e.g., Agriculture Associations for irrigation projects) and proven capacity (strong portfolio of previous projects). This specialized partnership ensures project activities align with local mandates and strengthens the intervention's success rate. Comprehensive due diligence on the local NGO (including registration, board, activity, and financial reports) is an essential lesson for managing risk and ensuring financial and operational integrity.
• Capacity Building: Training and capacity building for the local NGO and local operators (coupled with remote support, and annual site visits by technical experts) addresses the initial challenge of local operator training and mitigates long-term technical issues of some integrated systems’ components.

2. Financial and Operational Sustainability

• Financial Business Model: The project directly addresses maintenance funding gaps by developing a business case to create a financial model for sustained operations. This includes a clear cost structure and revenue streams/cost savings that enable maintenance and cover depreciation.
  • Cost-Benefit Justification: The funding mechanism leverages payments managed by local Agricultural Associations through fees and donations. The fees are demonstrably cheaper than existing scenarios (water trucks, bottled water, diesel), providing a strong, market-based financial incentive for beneficiaries to ensure operational continuity.
• Asset Security and Misuse Prevention: Measures to mitigate assets theft & misuse are critical for sustainability:
  • Assets are secured in locked control units and placed on land voluntarily offered by beneficiaries who are registered NGO members, fostering community ownership.
  • Remote monitoring & sensing enables real-time tracking and provides indications of shutdowns or misuse based on energy and power data points, ensuring rapid response to any tampering or operational anomaly.

3. Cybersecurity and Technology Risk Management

• Layered Security: The project will manage Cybersecurity risks in the future through a layered approach, utilizing Schneider Electric EcoStruxure Cybersecurity layers in its software solutions coupled with SIM lock on communication Machine to Machine Sim cards. This demonstrates a critical lesson: integrating digital security measures must be a mandatory component of WEFE Nexus projects utilizing smart, connected technologies.