Solar power is soaring in popularity.
Solar pumps are popular because they are affordable and allow water to be accessed where there isn't access to electricity. A common application in the United States is supplying water to livestock in remote pastures. They use solar panels that absorb sunlight and convert it to energy. The panel you choose will depend upon the pump you've selected, but 75 watt panels are most commonly used for a pump application and are capable of pumping 75 gallons of water per hour. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Determine how much water you need to pump. According to Oasis Montana Inc., one person requires about 75 gallons of water a day for eating, drinking and bathing. One hundred head of cattle consume in the range of 2,000 gallons per day.
2. Look at the distance you will need to pump the water--for instance, how far the source is from the application and how deep beneath the ground your source lies. This is known as the total dynamic head and is measured in either feet or meters, or in psi, according to Oasis Montana. Most well pumps work best if the water's surface level is no deeper than 10 feet below ground.
3. Decide on the type of pump. Positive displacement pumps, which are usually placed into the water, and centrifugal pumps, which pull water up and into itself, are the two main types. The type you need depends on your application, but typically centrifugal pumps are more common for regular use, providing high flow rates (good pressure) at lesser depths. According to the USDA Agriculture Research Center, positive displacement pumps are good for pumping water at greater depths, but at the expense of high water pressure.
4. Consider the amount of total sunlight your area receives in a year. Areas of the Northwest and Northeast receive an average of four hours of sunlight a day, according to Free Sun Power, while areas in the South receive up to seven hours a day. If you live in the North, a backup battery may be necessary to run your solar pump.
Tags: centrifugal pumps, displacement pumps, gallons water, need pump, Oasis Montana, pumps which