SOLAR (PHOTOVOLTAIC)

WATER PUMPING
Introduction
Water pumping has a long history; so many methods have been developed to pump water.
People have used a variety of power sources, namely human energy, animal power, hydro
power, wind, solar and fuels such a diesel for small generators. The most common pumps
used in remote communities are:
Hand pumps
Direct drive diesel driven borehole pumps
Electric submersible pumps with diesel generator
Solar submersible pumps
The relative merits of the various pumping methods are laid out in Table 1 below.

Advantages Disadvantages

Hand pumps local manufacture is possible loss of human productivity

Link easy to maintain often an inefficient use of boreholes
low capital cost low flow rates
no fuel costs

Animal driven more powerful than humans animals require feeding all year round
pumps lower wages than human often diverted to other activities at
power crucial irrigation periods
dung may be used for
cooking fuel

Hydraulic pumps unattended operation require specific site conditions

(e.g. rams) no fuel costs low output
Link easy to maintain
low cost
long life
high reliability

Wind pumps unattended operation water storage is required for low wind
Link easy maintenance periods
long life high system design and project
suited to local manufacture planning needs
no fuel requirements not easy to install

Solar PV unattended operation high capital costs

no fuel costs water storage is required for cloudy
low maintenance periods
easy installation repairs often require skilled
long life (20 year) technicians

Diesel and quick and easy to install fuel supplies erratic and expensive
gasoline pumps low capital costs high maintenance costs
widely used short life expectancy
can be portable noise and fume pollution
Table 1: Comparison of pumping techniques

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Solar (PV) water pumping Practical Action

Applications
Solar pumps are used principally for three applications:

village water supply

livestock watering
irrigation

A solar pump for village water supply is shown schematically in Figure 1. The Village will have
a constant water demand although there is need to store water for periods of low insolation
(low solar radiation). In environments where rainy seasons occur some of this demand can be
met by rainwater harvesting during the rainy season.

Ideally in Sahelian Africa the storage would be 3-5 days of water demand. In practice some
installed tanks do not have sufficient capacity and are smaller than a days demand leaving the

Figure 1: Village water supply

tank empty at the end of the day. This is due to a mismatch between the sizing, pump
capacity and the demand profile during the day.

The main applications for solar water pumping are for livestock watering in the USA and
Australia. In Africa the systems are used for village water systems and livestock watering.
While applications of solar water pumping for irrigation are on the increase especially in India
and China.

A solar irrigation system (Figure 2) needs to take account of the fact that demand for irrigation
water will vary throughout the year. Peak demand during the irrigation seasons is often more
than twice the average demand. This means that solar pumps for irrigation can be under-
utilised for most of the year although there can be a reduction in strength of the sun during
these times reducing supply side of the equation.

Attention should be paid to the system of water distribution and application to the crops. The

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system should minimise water losses, without imposing significant additional head on the
pumping system and be of low cost.

Figure 2: Solar irrigation system

The suitability of major irrigation systems for use with solar pumps is shown in Table 2.

Distribution method Typical application Typical head Suitability for use

efficiency With solar pumps

Open Channels 50-60% 0.5-1m Yes

Sprinkler 70% 10-20m No

Trickle/drip 85% 1-2m Yes

Flood 40-50% 0.5m No

Table 2: Suitability of major irrigation methods for use with solar pumps

The technology
Photovoltaic pumps are made up of a number of components. There is a photovoltaic array
which converts solar energy directly into electricity as DC. The pump will have an electric
motor to drive it.. The characteristics of these components need to be matched to get the best
performance. The pump motor unit will have its own optimum speed and load depending on
the type and size of the pump.

Motor
This can be DC or AC. If an AC motor is used then an inverter is also needed. AC motors are
more widely available.

Inverters have become cheap and efficient and solar pumping systems use special
electronically controlled variable-frequency inverters which will optimise matching between
the panel and the pump. A typical AC system would also need batteries which require
maintenance and add to the cost as the system is less efficient and would need a larger array.

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The most efficient type of DC motor is a permanent magnet motor. CD motors may have
carbon brushes which replacing when they wear out, If a brushed dc motor is used then the
equipment will need to be pulled up from the well (approximately every 2 years) to replace
brushes.

Brushless designs of CD motors exist where electrical circuits are used instead of
commentators and brushes. These are becoming popular in solar pumping systems.

Brushless dc motors would require electronic commutation.

Solar Panels
The basic principles of solar photovoltaic panels are explained in the Practical Action
Technical Brief Solar Photovoltaic Energy

Some models use a GPS sensor to provide latitude, longitude and time data to enable the
controller to calculate the position of the sun and position the solar array.

The Pump
Pump options and the system configuration are described below

Submersible Pumps

Often with electronic load controllers. The pump will be submerged while the load controller is
above ground.

The advantages of this configuration are

that it is easy to install, often with lay-
flat flexible pipework and the motor
pumpset is submerged away from
potential damage.

Multistage centrifugal pumps

The centrifugal pump will start at low
torque and can be matched with the
solar array without electronic controllers.
The pumps are not as a efficient as
positive displacement pumps using
cheap electronic load controllers.

Suitable for smaller heads. Older type

set with AC motors operate at heads of
10-25m.
Figure 3: Submerged multistage centrifugal motor
pumpset Positive displacement helical pumps
Helical pumps have the best efficiency
and the smallest PV panel for the same
specs of water delivery volume pressure
and head. They have low rotational speed. The pump is made up a metal helical rotor which
rotates in a rubber casing. Suitable for bigger heads.

A Mono solar pump will slow down when it is cloudy, but because it has no minimum speed
(unlike a centrifugal pump) it will keep delivering water.

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Submerged pump with surface mounted

motor
The main advantage is the easy access to the
motor for maintenance.

The low efficiency from power losses in the shaft

bearings and the high cost of installation has
been disadvantages. In general this
configuration is largely being replaced by the
submersible motor and pumpset.

Floating motor pump sets

The versatility of the floating unit set, makes it
ideal for irrigation pumping for canals and open
wells. The pumpset is easily portable and there is
a negligible chance of the pump running dry.

Most of these types use a single stage submersed

centrifugal pump. The most common type has a
Figure 4: Submerged pump with surface
brushless dc motor. Often the solar array support
mounted motor
incorporates a handle or 'wheel barrow' type
trolley to enable transportation.

Surface suction pumpsets

Figure 5: Floating motor pump

Figure 6: Suction pumpsets This type of pumpset is also suitable

for low head applications. It is not
recommended except where an operator
will always be in attendance for
maintenance and security of exposed
systems.

Although the use of primary chambers and non-return valves can prevent loss of prime, in
practice self-start and priming problems are experienced. It is impossible to have suction
heads of more than 8 metres.

Less common types of solar powered pumps include solar PV powered reciprocating piston
(nodding donkey) pumps and solar thermal pumps or thermosyphones pumps exits but are not

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commercially used.

Performance
Solar pumps are available to pump from anywhere in the range of up to 200m head and with
outputs of up to 250m/day.

Solar pumping technology continues to improve. In the early 1980s the typical solar energy to
hydraulic (pumped water) energy efficiency was around 2% with the photovoltaic array being
6-8% efficient and the motor pumpset typically 25% efficient. Today, an efficient solar pump
might have an average daily solar energy to hydraulic efficiency of more than 9% but lower
efficiencies of 2 -3% are still common.

It is important to get the most efficient pump available as the difference in cost between the
poor pump and a very efficient pump is much less that the additional cost required for a larger
PV panel. Accurate sizing of the array is important in keeping costs down.

A good sub-system (that is the motor, pump and any power conditioning) should have an
electrical to hydraulic efficiency of around 70% using positive displacement pumps. With
diaphragm pumps the efficiency will be around 45% and centrifugal pumps might have an
efficiency of 20%.

Procurement
Assessing requirements
The output of a solar pumping system is very dependent on good system design derived from
accurate site and demand data. It is therefore essential that accurate assumptions are made
regarding water demand/pattern of use and water availability including well yield and expected
drawdown.

Domestic water use per capita tends to vary greatly depending on availability. The long-term
aim is to provide people with water in sufficient quantities to meet all requirements for
drinking, washing and sanitation. WHO guidelines aim for a per capita provision of 40 to 50
litres per day for domestic use only, thus a village of 500 people has a requirement of 20
cubic metres per day. Most villages have a need for combined domestic and livestock watering
which will require much greater amounts of water.

Irrigation requirements depend upon crop water requirements, effective groundwater

contributions and efficiency of the distribution and field application system.

Irrigation requirements can be determined by consultation with local experts and agronomists
or by reference to FAO document: Crop evapotranspiration - Guidelines for computing crop
water requirements - FAO Irrigation and drainage paper 56, Richard G. Allen, Luis S. Pereira,
Dirk Raes, Martin Smith http://www2.webng.com/bahirdarab/Evapotranspiration.pdf

Also see
Micro-Irrigation Practical Action Technical Brief
Modern Irrigation Technologies for Smallholders in Developing Countries
Operation and Maintenance of Small Irrigation Schemes
Small-scale Irrigation

Assessing water availability

Several water source parameters need to be taken into account and where possible measured.
These are the depth of the water source below ground level, the height of the storage tank or
water outlet point above ground level and seasonal variations in water level. The drawdown or
drop in water level after pumping has commenced also needs to be considered for well and
borehole supplies. This will depend on the ratio between pumping rate and the rate of refill of
the water source, and should be measured and/or provided by those who drill the borehole In
addition, there is usually a seasonal variation in the water level , and a long term trend in the

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water table level dropping.

The pattern of water use should also be considered in relation to system design and storage
requirements. Water supply systems should include sufficient covered water storage to provide
for daily water requirements and short periods of cloudy weather. Generally, two to five days
water demand is stored.

Sizing solar pumps

The hydraulic energy required (kWh/day)

= volume required (m/day) x head (m) x water density x gravity / (3.6 x 106)
= 0.002725 x volume (m/day) x head (m)

The solar array power required (kWp) =

Hydraulic energy required (kWh/day)

Av. daily solar irradiation (kWh/m/day x F x E)

where F = array mismatch factor = 0.80 on average (a safety factor for real panel
performance in hot sun and after 10-20 years)
and E = daily subsystem efficiency = 0.25 - 0.40 typically

Economics
In general photovoltaic pumps are economic compared to diesel pumps up to approximately
3kWp for village water supply and to around 1kWp for irrigation.

Links and further reading

Solar Water Pumping Guide (63 pages - 4Mb pdf file) Green Empowerment
This step-by-step guide was developed to step NGOs through the technical and
community feasibility, initial design and budgeting aspects of solar water pumping
projects. You can download the document below.
Solar Energy for Rural Communities: The Case of Namibia
Yaron, Gil; Forbes, Tani and Jansson, Sven, Practical Action Publishing
Solar Water Pumping: A Handbook Jeff Kenna and Bill Gillett, Practical Action
Publishing
Water Lifting Devices: A Handbook Third Edition
Peter Fraenkel and Jeremy Thake, Practical Action Publishing
Practical Guide to Solar Photovoltaic Systems for Technicians: Sizing, installation and
maintenance Louineau, Jean-Paul, Practical Action Publishing
Electricity Services in Remote Rural Communities: The Small Enterprise Model
Sanchez Teodoro, Practical Action Publishing
A Cost and Reliability Comparison Between Solar and Diesel Powered Pumps
Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF), 2008
Theft prevention measures for PV systems Emcon Consulting Group, Namibia

Useful addresses

Green Empowerment Lifewater International

140 SW Yamhill 2840 Main Street, Morro Bay, CA 93442
Portland, Oregon 97204 Mailing address: PO Box 3131, San Luis
USA Obispo, CA 93403, USA
Tel: (503) 284-5774 Tel: +1 805 772 0600, +1 888 543 3426
Fax: (503) 460-0450 Fax: +1 805 772 0606
E-mail: info@greenempowerment.org E-mail: info@lifewater.org
Web www.greenempowerment.org Web: http://www.lifewater.org/

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Suppliers
The most suitable suppler will depend on the part of the world in which the pump is
to installed. Information on equipment suppliers can be found on the following
websites.
http://energy.sourceguides.com/
http://www.ecobusinesslinks.com/solar_energy_solar_power_panels.htm

Below is a sample list of suppliers and does not imply endorsement by Practical Action.

The Old School

Eglwysfach
Machynlleth
SY20 8SX
United Kingdom
Tel & Fax: +44 (0)1654 781 241
E-mail: ian.tansley@brightlightsolar.com
Web: http://www.brightlightsolar.com
Professional renewable energy products and solutions suppliers. International experience on
solar water pumping.

African Energy Mono Pumps (Australia) Pty.

237 S. Miller Lane, P.O. Box 664, Saint David, Arizona Limited,
USA, 85630 338-348 Lower Dandenong Road,
Tel: 1-520-720-9475 Mordialloc 3195,
Fax: 1-520-720-9527 Victoria,
Web: http://www.africanenergy.com Australia
E-mail: info@africaenergy.com Web:
African Energy is a specialized distributor of solar electric http://www.monopumps.com.au/en
and power back-up equipment focusing exclusively on the -au/solar-products
African market, including solar water pumping systems.
A.Y. MacDonald Manufacturing
Tata BP Solar India Ltd Company
78, Electronics City 4800 Chavenelle Road, Dubuque,
Hosur Road IA 5200, USA.
Bangalore 560 100 Tel: +1 319 583 7311
India Fax: +1 319 588 0720
Tel: 6660 1300, 4070 2000, 4070 3000 Web: www.aymcdonald.com
Fax: 080-2852 0116
E-mail: tatabp@tatabp.com Grundfos International A/S
Web: http://www.tatabpsolar.com/prod_gallery9.html Poul Due Jensens Vej
7,Bjerroingbo, DK-8850 Denmark
Tenesol Tel: +45 86 68 1400
Z.A.C. de la Tour, 12-14 alle du Levant Fax: +45 86 68 0468
69890 La Tour de Salvagny, France Web: www.grundfos.com
Tel.: +33 (0)4 78 48 88 50
Fax: +33 (0)4 78 19 44 83
E-mail: standard@tenesol.com
Web: http://www.tenesol.com/en/

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This document was last updated in 2010 based on information provided by Michel
Maupoux, of Green Empowerment, who has installed solar water pumps in
Nicaragua and the Philippines.

Practical Action
The Schumacher Centre for Technology and Development
Bourton-on-Dunsmore
Rugby, Warwickshire, CV23 9QZ
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)1926 634400
Fax: +44 (0)1926 634401
E-mail: inforserv@practicalaction.org.uk
Website: www.practicalaction.org/

Practical Action is a development charity with a difference. We know the simplest ideas can have the
most profound, life-changing effect on poor people across the world. For over 40 years, we have been
working closely with some of the worlds poorest people - using simple technology to fight poverty and
transform their lives for the better. We currently work in 15 countries in Africa, South Asia and Latin
America.