Solar water pumping

Solar water pumping is designed around the amount of water a site needs, the height it must be lifted and the distance it must travel. SIDAI assesses these conditions before selecting a pumping arrangement.

Sizing starts with water, not panels

A pump is specified by three numbers: how much water you need each day, how high it must be lifted, and how far it must be pushed. Solar pumping works best when the demand can move with the sun — filling a tank during the day, then distributing from the tank.

Typical setups

• Borehole to tank: the pump fills an elevated or ground tank during daylight, and the tank supplies the property.
• Borehole to pressure set: the pump feeds a pressure vessel for direct use, with a controller managing starts and stops.
• Irrigation: pumping matched to block size, emitter flow and watering schedule.

Protection

Dry-run protection, low-level cut-off, surge protection and correct earthing are part of the design. A pump that runs dry will not survive long, whatever it is powered by.

What we need from you

Borehole depth and static water level, desired daily volume, tank capacity and the layout of the site. If those numbers are unknown, we can measure them during an assessment.

Start with water demand

Daily volume, source depth, delivery height and pipe distance all affect pump selection. The same pump does not suit every borehole, tank or irrigation layout. We ask when water is needed, how demand changes through the day and whether storage can supply users when the sun is low.

Where a tank is part of the plan, storage can separate daytime pumping from later use. For irrigation, the watering schedule and the area served help describe the real demand. Borehole information and an on-site assessment help confirm the conditions; panel numbers alone cannot define a suitable system.

Controls and practical protection

The pump, controller, solar array and water storage must be considered together. Dry-run protection can help prevent operation when the water source is unavailable. Tank-level controls and pressure equipment may be appropriate for some properties, depending on how water is collected and distributed.

SIDAI reviews the source, route, tank position and electrical installation, then prepares a written specification for the site. At handover, we explain the controls and the checks that keep the system operating as intended. Discuss solar water pumping in Arusha and share the source type, estimated daily demand and delivery point.