Interested
in using solar to power a water pump for your home, farm or cabin?
Here are 5 things to consider:
In
our first
blog post of the year
we mentioned the incredible potential for using a SUNRNR solar
generator to power water pumps, especially in remote locations around
the world where access to electrical utilities is costly or
impossible. But you can also start right in your own back yard -
solar energy is an economic and environmentally friendly option for
providing power to pump water for irrigation, livestock, and your
home. In fact, according to Colorado State University, solar powered
water pumps have been used in the United States for more than 20
years and the number of systems continues to increase as the price of
photovoltaic (PV) cells and solar panels drops. The
average solar panel now costs around 75% less than it did just five
years ago.
Here
are a few things to keep in mind as you consider your solar-powered
water pump options:
- Water Storage/Consumption: how much water will you need? The average person uses between 80 – 100 gallons of water per day. Milking cows can require up to 25 gallons of water per day and up to 40 gallons in hot weather. Be sure to factor the requirements for water flow and water storage into your overall system design.
- Pumps may be powered by standard alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC). DC appliances are typically more efficient than their AC counterparts, using one-third to one-half the energy, but some designs may be powered directly from solar panels, requiring sunshine during use. SUNRNRs store the sunshine for use later and provide either type of current.
- The SUNRNR system is portable – making it a great option to carry in a pickup truck or mount on a trailer and move with livestock at multiple water sources.
- A SUN240 “Well Pump” model comes with two 140 W solar panels and stores 2000 W of useable energy. There are many variables to consider including duty cycle and amp draw at pump start, but SUN240s are typically used to power 240VAC well pumps up to 3/4 HP and to a depth of 300'. Check out our detailed well pump fact sheet here and be sure to contact us with your pump’s specifications and your water usage so we can help you determine your daily power requirements and options.
- Solar generators are also fantastic to use as back up power in your home in the event of an outage – in the words customer Bill G, “ The SUNRNR I purchased from you last year worked like a charm, keeping our freezer cold and running the well pump for water when we needed it.”
Are
you using your SUNRNR to power a well pump? Let us know in the
comments below. What else will a SUNRNR run? Check
out more examples here.
