Solar water pumping
The energy created by the sun or solar power can be utilized in numerous ways. This includes solar panels that convert the sun rays into electricity. In a solar pump, solar energy is transformed into heat and fed to a pump circulating water. The solar pump using a solar energy system is an exciting technology for supplying water in remote locations. Solar water pumps can also provide water to areas beyond the reach of power lines. Solar pump installation is easy, robust, and minimum maintenance is necessary. Their life expectancy is well beyond 30 years. But the solar panels need to be cleaned for running from time to time. They work well in hot or cold weather.
Solar water pumping systems could be an economical and practical solution used to provide a genuine and economical water supply where power supply is unreliable. Solar pumps are easily relocated to meet variable or seasonal location needs. They operate anywhere the sun shines and is powered by clean, renewable energy. The solar water pumps are practically free to op[erate compared to the price of diesel-powered generators and grid electricity, which is constantly increasing.Applications include;residential,recreational,industrial,livestock and agriculture.They are so efficient that many manufacturers give a 25-year warranty.
When building sizeable solar water pumps, there is no limit. However, they tend to be very competitive in small installations where combustion engines are the least economical. The mini solar pumps run on less than 150 watts of PV and can lift water from depths exceeding 200 Feet (65m) at 1.5 gallons (5.7litres) per minute. You can be surprised by the production of such a small system. Nine hundred gallons (3400 liters) can be lifted in a 10-hour sunny day. That can be enough water to provide for several families or 40 fruit trees or even 30 head of cattle.
Photovoltaic (PV) modules generate electricity from sunlight using silicon cells with no moving parts. They have been large scale produced since 1979. Solar water pumps are distinctively designed to utilize Direct Current electric power from photovoltaic modules. The water pumps should work when power is reduced, during low light conditions, without overheating or stalling. Small volume pumps use positive volumetric devices that block the water in cavities and force it upwards. Lift dimensions are maintained even when pumping at a slow pace. These gadgets include; piston pumps, vane, and diaphragm. These vary from a conventional centrifugal pump that needs to rotate fast to work competently. Centrifugal pumps are used where high volumes are required.
A surface pump is one that is staged at ground level. These kinds of water pumps work well when they draw water through suction less than 10 to 20 below ground level, but they can push it far uphill. A submersible pump is the one that is lowered into the water. These types of water pumps are suited both to a deep well and to surface water sources. It is less expensive where a surface pump is feasible than a submersible, and a greater variety is available. A pump controller is an electronic gadget used with almost all solar pumps. It reacts like an automatic transmission that helps the pump to start and keeps it from holding back weak sunlight. Other controllers also have subsidiary features like offering terminal for the float switch to close down the pump when a storage tank is full and safeguarding for overvoltage conditions.
As the sun moves across the sky during the day, a solar tracker can be used to tilt the PV array. Doing this can escalate daily energy gain by as much as 55%. A smaller pump and power system may be used with more hours of peak sun. Tracking functions best in bright sunny weather. It is slighter productive in cloudy climates and on short winter days. Nevertheless, the cost of solar panels has come down in the last several years so much that it is usually more economical to add more solar panels than to add a tracker. Since the tracker has moving parts, they will need to be repaired after some years.
Storage is essential.Depending on climate and water usage, storage may be required. The majority of the organizations use water tanks for economy and simplicity. In other instances, batteries may be added to the system. Deep cycle batteries store electrical energy from the solar modules for the pump to run at non-sunny times. To prevent overflow, add a float switch to the system, which can turn the pump off when the tank fills. In the old days, windmills used to pump water, and they can still be seen on many horizons. Recently in water pumping applications, solar pumps have replaced mills.
A mini solar system turns out to be cost-effective and much easier to install and sustain. The solar panels can be installed in valleys and wooded areas where wind exposure is weak and can provide a more consistent supply of water. A PV array can be set a certain distance apart from the pump itself, even if it means several hundred feet (100m) away.