How do you design a solar water pumping system?

When designing a solar pumping system, the designer must match the individual components together. A solar water pumping system consists of three major components: the solar array, pump controller and electric water pump (motor and pump) as shown in Figure 1.

How does a solar powered water system work?

However, it is important that the solar powered water system is designed to supply only the amount of water intended to be collected from the system. In this community, people will collect all their water used for drinking and cooking from the system.

What size water pipe should a solar water pumping system use?

The designer should initially use pipe that is the same size as the inlets and outlets. The designer then undertakes the frictional loss calculations for that size of water pipes using the known maximum water flow for that solar water pumping system.

What type of water pipe is used for solar water pumping?

Water pipe can be supplied as metal pipes, PVC pipes (hard plastic pipes) or polyethylene pipes (commonly known as poly pipe). Because if its flexibility poly pipe is often used with solar water pumping systems as the suction pipe for a surface pump and for the pipe within a borehole for the borehole pump.

How much water can a solar powered water system supply?

The table above gave a range of 6 to 16 litres per person per day based on different uses and different amounts for each use. However, it is important that the solar powered water system is designed to supply only the amount of water intended to be collected from the system.

What makes a solar powered water system successful?

It is critical to the success of a completed solar powered water system that the design demand be clearly stated and agreed upon by all parties involved in the planning and future ownership of the system, including documentation of the agreement.