SIZING A SOLAR WATER PUMPING SYSTEM

In this blog post we’re going to show you how to size and determine the various basic components that make up a submersible solar water pumping system:

1. Solar powered submersible pump that goes in your well
2. Holding tank or cistern to store a reserve of water
3. Solar panel array to power the pump
4. Linear current booster that optimizes the power from the solar panels to the pump
5. Booster pump to increase the pressure of the water to usable household levels (if your cistern isn’t high enough)

This blog posting will covering solar pumping systems where you are drawing water from a well and not where the source of the water is a pond, lake, river etc.

When determining what pump(s) to get, you need to evaluate your pumping needs.  How much water a day do you need, how many days of storage, how high and far does it need to be pumped, and what is the source?   Seventy five Gallons per day (GPD) per person is common for domestic use. Your local weather patterns will help determine the amount of storage; do you have long stretches without sun, or is it only an occasional cloudy day?