Agriculture accounts for the largest share of freshwater consumption globally, and inefficient irrigation practices lead to significant water wastage. This paper presents the design and implementation of a Solar Powered Smart Irrigation System (SPSIS) that automates irrigation based on real-time soil moisture data while utilizing renewable solar energy for sustainable and cost-effective operation. The system integrates a NodeMCU (ESP8266) microcontroller, soil moisture sensor, DHT11 temperature and humidity sensor, relay module, and water pump, all powered by a solar panel through a TP4056 battery charging circuit. Sensor data is transmitted to the ThingSpeak IoT platform for remote monitoring via Wi-Fi. The system automatically activates or deactivates the water pump depending on soil moisture thresholds, eliminating the need for manual intervention. Experimental results demonstrate improved water efficiency, reduced energy consumption, and reliable automated performance.

This paper presented the design, implementation, and testing of a Solar Powered Smart Irrigation System (SPSIS) integrating soil moisture sensing, temperature and humidity monitoring, automated pump control, and IoT-based cloud monitoring via ThingSpeak. The system was powered entirely by solar energy, ensuring eco-friendly and cost- effective operation. Experimental results confirmed that the SPSIS reliably activates and deactivates the irrigation pump based on real-time soil moisture data, preventing overwatering and unnecessary energy consumption. The system achieved approximately 48% water savings and 49% energy savings over traditional manual irrigation, demonstrating its viability as a practical precision agriculture solution. Future work will focus on expanding the sensor network to larger agricultural areas, incorporating rainfall prediction using machine learning, integrating automated solar panel tracking, and developing a dedicated mobile application for enhanced user interaction.

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