Solar PV promoted for pumping water in New York State

ALBANY, New York, US, November 9, 2005 (Refocus Weekly)

The state of New York has published a guide to provide information to farmers and landowners that want to install solar-powered water pumping systems.

More than a dozen PV-powered systems have been installed in upstate New York since 2001 by one company alone, and all are “doing well, meeting or exceeding projected daily water production,” according to the ‘Guide to Solar-Powered Water Pumping Systems in New York State’ produced by the New York State Energy Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA). Two systems were installed at a farming college to test the long-term performance of solar water pumps used in seasonal grazing, and farmers can receive funds from the ‘Solar-Powered Livestock Watering Project’ that is funded by NYSERDA.

“Solar water pumps can provide simple and low labor watering options for farms that require water in remote areas,” the guide concludes. Water storage in metal or plastic tanks is used instead of power storage in a battery, to reduce costs and makes the system simpler, and it recommends that an electronic pump controller be used to smooth current to the pump.

“As with the turtle and the hare, slow and steady wins the race,” it explains. “Many solar pumps are made to pump slowly over the course of the day, which allows water to be pushed over considerable distances and vertical rises. Slow pumps can use small-diameter piping, reducing the installed cost. Slow pumps require less power and allow the use of limited water resources, such as a slowly recharged well.”

To reduce system cost, water must be conserved to allow expensive PV modules to be used for shorter periods. “Solar pumps are generally most competitive in smaller systems where combustion engines are least economical” and the document explains that solar pumping systems are low maintenance which require “only occasional inspection.”

Each location has different needs and resources, and the guide is designed to provide general principles needed to make an informed decision on installing a solar pump. PV water pumps are used in the western U.S. and many other countries with abundant sunlight, and they have proven to be a “cost-effective and dependable method for providing water in situations where water resources are spread over long distances, power lines are few or non-existent, and fuel and maintenance costs are considerable.”

Historically, solar water pumps have not been widely used in New York State “due to the perception that solar does not work in New York,” but demonstration units in recent years have “proven that solar pumps work at capacity when needed most: during warm, sunny days,” an important factor for animal grazing operations. “While there are several possible methods for supplying water to remote pastures, such as wind, gas/diesel pumps, and ram pumps, solar-powered water pumps may offer the best option in terms of long-term cost and reduced labor.”

Solar pumps are “very cost-effective for remote applications” where utility interconnect costs more than US$5,000, which usually is one-third of a mile from the grid. Other applications include off-grid homes and cabins, pond and stream protection, aquaculture aeration and de-icing, and small-scale irrigation.

“The long-term economics make PV pumps superior to most other remote watering options, except where gravity feed is available,” and the report quotes one study in Nevada by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management that compared solar water pumping with generator systems and found that the PV system cost 64% as much over 20 years as the generator system did over only ten years. The remote solar site also used only 14% as many labour hours.

Another study by Sandia National Laboratories found that PV pumping in remote locations could be cost effective even if they cost five times to install compared with conventional generators. Diesel and gas generators have low initial costs but require consistent maintenance and have a design life of 1,500 hours, while small solar pumping systems cost less initially than a durable slow speed engine driven generator.

NYSERDA was created in 1975 by the state legislature to administer programs which support public benefit programs during the transition to a competitive electricity market.


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