Solar irrigation system

The pump used in the solar irrigation system is used for transporting water with help of the solar cells. With help of the generator solar energy is converted into electrical energy which helps in running the motor that drives the pump. The solar pumps are more effective, cost-friendly, and environment friendly as they do not require diesel or grid electricity for running motor pumps

The pump used in the solar irrigation system is used for transporting water with help of the solar cells. With help of the generator solar energy is converted into electrical energy which helps in running the motor that drives the pump. The solar pumps are more effective, cost-friendly, and environment-friendly as they do not require diesel or grid electricity for running motor pumps. 

There are various advantages of using a solar irrigation system which is mentioned below:

• It doesn't require any grid connection. 
• There is no requirement for fuel for running the water pump. 
• With help of the pumps, it is possible to irrigate crops, paddy fields, or vegetable fields even in remote areas. 
• They are durable and require almost no maintenance or minimum maintenance. 
• These solar irrigation pumps are environmentally friendly.

There are various components and hardware equipment that combinely forms the solar irrigation system, the components are as follows:

• Motor pump: The solar irrigation system has a motor that runs with help of the electricity produced by the solar panels. There are two types of motor that can be used either AC or DC. Most DC pumps require 24 volts instead of 12 volts for running pumps and are used for landscaping, garden fountains, drinking water for livestock, etc. While for an AC pump the inverter is necessary for converting direct current to alternate current. There are majorly two types of motor pumps used which are surface and submersible motors. 

• Solar panels: These panels are composed of photovoltaic cells which converts solar energy into electricity which runs the water pump for irrigation. 

There are various advantages and disadvantages of using a solar irrigation system which is as follows:

Advantages

• It reduces your electricity bill. 
• There is no consumption of diesel which is required by a general water pump. 
• It has a very low maintenance cost. 
• It is an advanced development of technology. 
• It is eco-friendly with no pollution. 

?Disadvantages 

• It is dependent on the weather and works well on a sunny day. 
• It requires a lot of space for installation. 
• It is a bit expensive to store solar energy. 

The first solar water pump was introduced in the late 1970s and till then the systems are running efficiently and nowadays are most in demand. There were lots of problems faced during the early 1980s in using the solar irrigation system like lack of safety hazards, incorrect wiring, terminals that didn't provide good electrical connections, jamming of foot valves or leaking. Later on with the passage of time several improvements were done and turned to be very effective for irrigation purposes. 

The basic components of the solar irrigation system are as follows, 

• Photovoltaic panels
• Pump controller
• Solar pump
• Electric cables 
• Solar pump inverter
• Drip lines for drip irrigation
• Pump installation

The investment cost of the solar power irrigation systems has come down and the schemes of investment and subsidy have been rolled out which makes this system one of the reliable sources of irrigation for farmers. There are also few challenges that are being encountered with the solar irrigation systems like, 

• Standardized quality and control of the services and products. 
• Access to finance 
• Economic viability 
• Social justice
• Water management 
• Maintenance, installation and operation of the water pumps