How to Design a Solar Pump

A solar panel such as this one can be used to power a well or sump pump.

With the ever increasing push towards energy conservation, more people are looking at solar power as a solution. Solar water pumps are one example of using solar energy to conserve energy and save money. These water pump systems use a solar panel, batteries and a 12- to 24-volt water pump to provide water for a home or irrigation from a well. These systems are very compact and include a control unit which controls the pump operation and charging of the batteries.

Things You'll Need

• 2 12-volt batteries
• 24-volt solar panel
• Control unit
• Red and black electrical wire
• Wire cutters
• Wire strippers
• 12 or 24-volt water pump

Instructions

1. Secure the water pump into position using the mounting screws provided. Connect the positive red wire and the negative black wire to the positive and negative pump terminals on the pump control unit.

2. Connect the positive and negative battery terminals to the positive and negative power terminals on the control unit if this is a 12-volt pump. If this is a 24-volt pump, then two 12-volt batteries are required and they must be connected in series to provide a 24-volt output. This setup allows the batteries to supply power to the control unit and pump.

3. Mount the solar panel and power controller into position. Connect the positive and negative terminals of the solar panel to the positive and negative terminals of the power controller. The output from the power controller is then routed to the batteries by connecting the positive and negative power output of the controller to the positive and negative terminal of the batteries.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure your solar panels are exposed directly to the sun with no obstructions that will block sunlight.

References

• Solarpumps: newinstallmanual