Solar Water Pumps

Prepared by MicroEnergy International GmbH with the collaboration of Davide Forcella (CERMi-ULB), 2015.

Solar water pumps (SWP) use electricity generated by photovoltaic (PV) panels to pump water from bore holes, wells or reservoirs directly onto fields or into a storage tank for gravity based irrigation. With no fuel inputs and simple operation, SWP are cheaper, cleaner and more reliable than diesel pumps. They offer the potential to increase smallholder incomes through reduced operating costs and improved crop yields.