Selecting and sizing a solar pump depends on the daily water requirement, the height the water needs to be pumped (the ‘head’) and the level of solar irradiation at the location.
Some typical daily water requirements include:
- People:………………………..280 litres per person
- Milk cow: ……………………133 litres per milk cow
- Cow & calf: ……………….. 38-144 litres
- Horse, head of cattle: … 38-76 litres per animal
- Sheep: ………………………. 8 litres per sheep
- Chicken: ……………………. 15 litres per chicken
- Irrigation: …………………. highly variable depending on crop, irrigation system and
weather conditions.
Basic steps required when selecting / sizing a solar pumping system. Needless to say, the details are more complex and most companies use sizing software, which is often supplied by system manufacturers.