Sizing a solar pump
You need two figures: daily water demand (liters/day) and total dynamic head (meters) — the vertical lift plus pipe friction. Multiply these to get the hydraulic energy required.
Oversize the panel array by 1.3× to account for cloudy mornings; solar pumps are forgiving since storage is usually a tank rather than batteries.
DC vs AC solar pumps
DC pumps connect directly to panels and suit smaller, simpler installations. AC pumps need an inverter but handle larger flows and deeper wells.
For most African farms, a DC solar pump with a 5,000–10,000 liter overhead tank delivers reliable water at lower lifetime cost than diesel.
Frequently asked questions
water pumping agriculture Kenya off-grid
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