I have a small ranch in northeastern California near a creek, and I'm looking to pump water for irrigation without using batteries. I'd like to use my six 100W solar panels to run an impact sprinkler over a 125-foot distance with a 7-foot elevation rise during the summer. I'm interested in understanding the connection between my solar panels and the pump, specifically if I need a charge controller and how to avoid burning out the pump during startup in the early morning when the sunlight is weak. Any advice on solar pump systems or setup would be appreciated!
3 Answers
How's the drop in your creek? If it's significant enough, you could look into a ram pump that might do the trick for filling a storage tank without needing much power. Just check the elevation and flow conditions; it could simplify your setup quite a bit!
If you've got the option to store some water, consider setting up a tank for your irrigation. You could pump water into a tank during the day and then let gravity do the work at night when the sprinklers could run more efficiently. It’s important to think about the start-up power needs of electric motors, which can be several times their running power. This could mean needing more solar panels or a small battery system to handle that initial burst. Think about a small battery that charges up during the day just to kickstart the pump, and then lets you use the water later on.
There are specific solar water pumps that can run directly off solar without needing batteries! Look for pumps with low start-up currents or soft-start features. Make sure the pump voltage range matches your panels because your 100W panels typically output around 22V, which drops to 17V when starting the pump. Ideally, choose a pump with a brushless motor for efficiency. If you need to keep your sheep off the irrigated area, a temporary solar electric fence could drastically help maintaining the grass.
Great tips about the brushless motors! That sounds like the exact route I need to take—efficient and effective. Using a solar-powered electric fence to manage my grazing areas will be super helpful!
That sounds like a solid plan! Pumping during the day to fill a tank and using it at night could really help with efficiency. Plus, having a little battery backup just for that start-up surge could save you a lot of hassle.