Application of Solar PV based Pumping for

irrigation: A survey Report

Submitted by
Amit Desai (08D17008)
Guide: Prof. Anand B. Rao

Centre for Technology Alternatives for Rural Areas

Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
Powai, Mumbai 400 076
December 2012

Abstract
Water pumping is an energy intensive activity and consumes a large amount diesel and
electricity. Solar energy, which is abundantly available in India, can be used for pumping water
via Solar-PV technology. In this study, we try to understand the performance of the already
deployed solar PV water pumps in the Mumbai and Thane area. The sites we visited included
solar pumps installed under Govt. schemes such as the GSDA and installations by private clubs
in both rural and urban areas. Along with the analysis of performance, various socio-economic
aspects of the surrounding communities are also looked at. Based on our findings, we have come
up with a list of recommendations mainly focused on development of community knowledge and
greater accountability from the vendors. Along with these recommendations, future work should
involve gathering of reliable data for analyzing the performance and operation of the pump and a
sizing mechanism as well as a pump-type selection framework.

Table of Contents
1

Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 1
1.1

Motivation ..................................................................................................................................... 1

1.2

Objective ....................................................................................................................................... 1

1.3

Structure of the report ................................................................................................................... 2

Literature Survey .................................................................................................................................. 3

2.1

2.1.1

Main Components ................................................................................................................. 3

2.1.2

Types of Pumps..................................................................................................................... 5

2.2

The current scenario ...................................................................................................................... 7

2.2.1

Advantages ............................................................................................................................ 7

2.2.2

Limitations ............................................................................................................................ 7

2.3
3

Understanding the Technology ..................................................................................................... 3

Solar water pumping in India ........................................................................................................ 8

Field Visits .......................................................................................................................................... 10

3.1

Ujjaini, Avade and Angav ........................................................................................................... 10

3.2

Rotary Club Joggers park, Vile Parle, Mumbai .......................................................................... 14

3.3

BMC Cement Storage and Engineering Projects building .......................................................... 16

Conclusions and Learning Outcomes ................................................................................................. 17

Recommendations ............................................................................................................................... 18

References ........................................................................................................................................... 19

Appendix I .................................................................................................................................................. 20
Appendix II ................................................................................................................................................. 21
Appendix III ................................................................................................................................................ 23

List of Figures
Figure 2-1 Configuration of a solar PV powered pumping system .............................................................. 4
Figure 2-2 Surface Centrifugal Pump ........................................................................................................... 5
Figure 2-3 A typical 'cut-down' pump .......................................................................................................... 6
Figure 3-1 Solar Panel at Ujjaini................................................................................................................. 11
Figure 3-2Storage tank at Ujjaini ................................................................................................................ 13
Figure 3-3 Hand Pump at Ujjaini ................................................................................................................ 14
Figure 3-4 Solar panel at Avade ................................................................................................................. 15
Figure 3-5 Control Unit at Avade ............................................................................................................... 15
Figure 3-6 Solar Panel at Angav ................................................................................................................. 16
Figure 3-7 Solar panel at Joggers park........................................................................................................ 17

ii

Introduction

1.1 Motivation
Unlike conventional diesel or electrical pumps, solar photovoltaic (PV) pumps are powered by
an array of solar panels. Solar PV pumps are designed to operate on DC power produced by solar
panels. These pumps are gaining popularity all over the world, especially in the areas where
electricity is either unavailable or unreliable. Solar PV pumps are becoming a preferred choice in
remote locations to replace hand-pumps, grid-connected electrical pumps and diesel pumps. In
such places, solar PV pumps are even viable economically in comparison to conventionally run
pumps.
Solar water pumps were first introduced for water provision in off-grid areas. The technology
has developed around many different designs and in some water pumps the reliability and
maintenance requirements have improved over the initial pumps introduced to the market. Solar
pumps are easy to install, require no nonrenewable energy, operate autonomously and are
generally good for the sustainability of boreholes due to their low extraction volumes spread
over eight to ten hours a day. The initial capital cost is high due to the cost of the photovoltaic
modules. The maintenance requirements differ and range between annual and five year
maintenance intervals. A perceived limiting factor of solar pumps is that they do not easily cater
for fluctuating water demands or increased water demand although solutions for this are being
offered.
As the initial capital cost is very high, the buying behavior for solar pumps can be classified into
a few categories:
1. High-income individuals setting up a solar pump for personal or commercial use, mostly in
off-grid locations
2. Government funded schemes which install solar pumps for both drinking and irrigation
requirements in locations with either no-electricity or unreliable supply.
3. Co-operative societies or groups that want to install solar pumps- these can be in both offgrid locations and urban locations with reliable supply.
The aim of this study is to understand the basics of solar PV pumps and interact with the relevant
stakeholders within the aforementioned 3 categories. We also list down the learning outcomes of
the field visits to better understand the socio-economic aspects of future possible installations.

1.2 Objective
The objective of this study is
1. To understand the basics of solar-PV based pumps
2. To identify manufacturers, vendors/ suppliers, and customers using solar PV pump sets
3. To understand the issues involved in these applications through interaction with the
stakeholders and field visits

1.3 Structure of the report

Sections 2 begins with a basic overview of the technology behind the solar PV water pumps
veering aspects like pump sizing and selection. This is followed by a review of the challenges
being faced by solar pumps based on international research findings. The next part deals with
solar pumps in India. The next section describes the field visits to the 3 different kinds of
installations and lists down key points of interest. The next section summarizes the key findings
and learning outcomes from these visits. Finally we end with recommendations based on these
findings and future work.

2 Literature Survey
2.1 Understanding the Technology
2.1.1 Main Components
A solar pump typically consists of the following main components (Figure 2-1):
Photovoltaic array: An array of photovoltaic modules connected in series and possibly strings
of modules connected in parallel.
Controller: An electronic device which matches the PV power to the motor and regulates the
operation, starting and stopping of the PVP. The controller is mostly installed on the surface
although some PVPs have the controller integrated in the submersible motor-pump set:
1. DC controller: usually based on a DC to DC controller with fixed voltage setpoint operation.
2. AC controller (inverter): converts DC electricity from the array to alternating current
electricity often with maximum power point tracking.
3. Electric motor: There are a number of motor types: DC brushed, DC brushless, or three phase
induction and three phase permanent magnet synchronous motors.
4. Pump: The most common pump types are the helical rotor pump (also referred to as
progressive cavity), the diaphragm pump, the piston pump and the centrifugal pump.
There are currently three pumping configurations that are the most common:
1. DC drives with positive displacement pumps. This consists of four pump technologies:
a. Diaphragm pump driven by brushed DC motor: Submersible motor/pump
b. Helical rotor pump driven by brushless DC motor: Submersible motor/pump
c. Helical rotor pump driven by surface mounted brushed DC motor
d. Piston pump driven by surface mounted brushed DC motor pump.
2. AC drive powering a submersible induction motor/centrifugal pump unit
3. AC drives powering a three phase permanent magnet synchronous motor. This category
consists of:
a. Positive displacement helical rotor pump
b. Centrifugal pump

The above technologies have specific features which make them suitable for particular
applications:
1. Array voltage: Some of the pumping systems have high array voltages. This has the
advantage that the array may be further from the borehole without significant voltage drop
(dependent on cable size and current). Array positioning may be important where there is
potential for theft.
2. DC motors: DC motors reach efficiencies of up to 80% and are therefore significantly more
efficient than sub-kW three phase motors which have efficiencies in the region of 60% to
65%.
3. Brushless DC motors: This combines the high efficiency of DC motors with low
maintenance as opposed to brushed DC motors which require regular brush replacement
(approximately every one to two years head and quality dependent).
4. Three phase permanent magnet motors: This similarly combines the high efficiency of
permanent magnet motors with low maintenance.

Figure 2-1 Configuration of a solar PV powered pumping system (Ref-[1])

2.1.2 Types of Pumps

Surface Centrifugal Pump
Surface pump are suitable for areas where the water level is within 7m below ground level. A
surface or centrifugal pump is normally placed at ground level. The pump is suitable for
pumping from shallow bore wells, open wells, reservoirs, lakes & canals. The solar pump driven
by a permanent DC motor is connected directly to an array of solar panels. The pump has a total
dynamic head (suction plus delivery) of 14m. the maximum suction head is 7m or 22 feet. The
pump will not work if the water table is below 7m in depth. (Figure 2-2)
It is possible to increase the delivery head if the suction head is less 7m. This enables one to
pump water even from deep wells, by installing the pump inside the well; called cut-down.
(Figure 2-3)
These pumps are designed for high flow rates and low heads. The permanent magnet DC motor
driving the surface pump is powered by a matching solar array to maximize efficiency. An
enclosed impeller design ensures smooth operation. Made of cast iron, these pumps are finished
with anti-corrosive primer, followed by silver colored polyutherene paint.

Figure 2-2 Surface Centrifugal Pump (Ref-[2])

Figure 2-3 A typical 'cut-down' pump (Ref-[2])

Submersible Pump
A submersible pump is one that is immersed in water. It pumps water by displacement.
Submersible pumps are suited both to deep well and to surface water sources. Most deep wells
use submersible pumps. These pumps are costlier but have a longer life and greater reliability
than surface pumps.
These pumps are designed for high head and medium flow application. They multi-stage pump
and high efficiency micro-controller based inverter. The inverter optimizes the power input and
thus enhances the overall system efficiency.
Choice of Pump: A comparison
Positive displacement pumps have a better daily delivery than centrifugal pumps when driven by
a solar PV system with its characteristic variable power supply. This is due to the considerable
drop in efficiency of the centrifugal pump when operating away from its design speed. This is
the case in the morning and the afternoon of a centrifugal pump driven by a PV array, unless that
array tracks the sun (which is why centrifugal PVPs effectiveness improves more with a tracking
array than a positive displacement PVP). The efficiency curve of a positive displacement pump
is flatter over a range of speeds. However the efficiency of positive displacement pumps
decreases with the shallowness of the borehole (the constant fixed friction losses become a more
significant part of the power it takes to lift water) [3].
6

2.2 The current scenario

For stand-alone (no utility interconnection) water pumping- systems there have been papers
published comparing diesel powered water pumping systems to solar-PV water pumping
systems [4-5]. There are also papers on modeling and field testing of solar pumps in different
locations in the world [6-8]. Several papers have been written on the performance of PV water
pumping systems including the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Performance of PV powered diaphragm pump [9-10].

Fixed versus passive tracking PV panels [11-12].
Performance of PV powered centrifugal pump [13].
Performance of a PV powered helical pump [14].

Based on the case studies available through field testing done in multiple locations around the
world, the advantages and limitations of solar pumping systems can be summarised as:
2.2.1 Advantages
1. Low operating cost: One of the important advantages is the negligible operating cost of the
pump. Since there is no fuel required for the pump like electricity or diesel, the operating cost
is minimal.
2. Low maintenance: A well-designed solar system requires little maintenance beyond cleaning
of the panels once a week. Most vendors provide the post-installation service through trained
technicians for every cluster, so that the farmers dont need to worry about availability of
spares or other related problems.
3. Harmonious with nature: Another important advantage is that it gives maximum water output
when it is most needed i.e. in hot and dry months. Slow solar pumping allows us to utilize
low-yield water sources.
4. Flexibility: The panels need not be right beside the well. They can be anywhere up to 20
meters! 60 feet away from the well, or anywhere you need the water. So, it offers freedom
regarding the placement of panels. These pumps can also be turned on and off as per the
requirement, provided the period between two operations is more than 30 seconds.

2.2.2 Limitations
1. Low yield: Solar pumping is not suitable where the requirement is very high. The maximum
capacity available with solar is very low. However, the output of the solar DC pump is more
than a normal pump.
2. Variable yield: The water yield of the solar pump changes according to the sunlight. It is
highest around noon and least in the early morning and evening. This variability should be
taken into consideration while planning the irrigation.
3. Dry operation: The submersible pump has an in-built protection against dry run. However,
the surface pumps are very sensitive to dry run. A dry run of 15 minutes or more can cause
considerable damage to a surface pump.
4. Water quality: As with any other pump, solar pumps work best if the water is clean, devoid
of sand or mud. However, if the water is not so clean, it is advisable to clean the well before
installation or use a good filter at the end of the immersed pipe.
5. Theft: Theft of solar panels can be a problem in some areas. So the farmers need to take
necessary precautions. Ideally, the solar system should insured against theft as well as natural
hazards like lightning.

2.3 Solar water pumping in India

Almost 70% of Indias population depends on agriculture either directly or indirectly [3]. While
44% of the 140 million sown hectares depend on irrigation, the rest relies on the monsoons.
Irrigation, therefore, is essential for good crop yield [3]. Most electrical consumption in this
sector goes towards operating pump sets for irrigation. In 20067, Indias agricultural sector
accounted for 22% of the total electricity consumption, up from 10% in the 1970s. There are
about 21 million irrigation pump sets in India, of which about 9 million are run on diesel and the
rest are grid-based [3]. Grid electricity for agriculture in India is provided at very low tariffs in
most cases, flat rates are charged based on the ratings of the pump. This is largely due to
logistical difficulties faced with metering and charge collection. But this practice of providing
electricity to farmers at highly subsidized rates has led to increasingly high consumption patterns
and widespread use of inefficient pumps across the nation. Also, pumps of lower ratings are used
to power applications requiring higher power. These factors, among others, have led to an
invidious irrigationenergy nexus. Apart from this, limited and unreliable supply of grid
electricity has led to farmers extensive dependence on diesel for water pumping. In addressing
this challenge, the efforts of the Gujarat government are noteworthy. They introduced the
Jyotigram Yojana, a programme that seeks to provide a reliable supply of power for agricultural
and domestic purposes in rural areas

The MNRE has a programme for the deployment of various solar PV applications, including
water pumping systems. However, the deployment has been sparse thus far, with only 7,334
solar PV water pumps having been installed across the country as of March 2010 [3]. Water
demand for irrigation is correlated to bright sunny days. Hence, solar-based pumps make sense.
Even so, small buffer storage might be needed to replace diesel satisfactorily. A solar PV water
pumping system consists of a PV array, motor pump and power conditioning equipment, if
needed. The power conditioning equipment is used to stabilize the fluctuating electrical energy
output of the array. Depending on the total dynamic head and the required flow rate of water, the
pumping system can either be on the surface or submersible and the motor can run on either
alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC). For AC pumping systems an inverter is required.
Ratings of pump sets are chosen depending on the water requirements, size of field, total
dynamic head, type of irrigation (drip irrigation, use of sprinklers), etc.
The key barrier to the large-scale dissemination of solar PV water pumps is the high capital cost
incurred by farmers compared to the much lower capital cost of conventional pumps. Solar PV is
a competitive option in the face of diesel, its adoption being contingent on the ease of access to
subsidies. Another factor to be considered is the space requirement for the installation of a solar
PV pump set. This factor limits adoption by small-scale farmers to whom land availability is a
major

3 Field Visits
The Groundwater Surveys and Development Agency (GSDA) of the Water Supply and Sanitation
Department of the Government of Maharashtra have come up with an innovative drinking water supply
scheme called Dual Pump Scheme in order to overcome the drawbacks of the existing bore well hand
pump based schemes in rural Maharashtra.
In order to ensure the sustainability of the scheme in terms of maintaining ground water levels, rainwater
harvesting structures are made mandatory on the site of installation. Hence this scheme intends to reduce
drudgery for women by providing for water through taps closer to homes. Due to the rain water
harvesting component of the scheme and focus on source, it gets funded by National Rural Drinking
Water Programme (NRDWP).
Around 1000 such schemes were implemented across Maharashtra during the year 2010-11. During the
initial stages of implementation of this scheme, the solar power component was not a part of it; rather
grid electricity was used to operate the pumps. Later it was observed that there is no electricity available
in economically backward habitations and in hilly, difficult terrains of the state. Hence, GSDA modified
the scheme and developed a Dual Pump Scheme based on Solar Energy.
Within our field visits, we look at both the installations made through the GSDA and private installations
done by clubs or other administrative agencies.

3.1 Ujjaini, Avade and Angav

We accompanied the Prof. A.B Rao and several other CTARA students to visit the above
mentioned villages. The technical details of the pumps can be seen in Appendix I.
Ujjaini is a small hamlet with a population of around 260 and 44 households that is connected to
the grid. The solar panel and pump were installed at the location as part of a GSDA scheme in
April 2011 but the operation started considerably later. The pump has been installed at the site of
the hand-pump itself, deep within the ground. The pump serves the purpose of pumping water to
a tank located roughly 150m away (the vertical displacement from ground is present due to slope
of ground and 2 meter elevation of tank). The size of the tank is 5000 liters and is used to supply
drinking water to the households. It takes around 5 hours on a normal day to fill-up the tank,
although the people said that even on cloudy days, the performance is good. (Figure 3-1 and 3-2)
The solar panel set-up has the scope for passive sun-tracking through discrete adjustments of the
slope of the panels which has to be done manually. The village has designated one person who
operates the pump and makes adjustments on the slope of the panel. Since the person does not
have a technical understanding of the system, in case of any issues with the performance, the
vendor is contacted. (Figure 3-3)

10

Figure 3-1 Solar Panel at Ujjaini

Figure 3-2 Storage tank at Ujjaini

11

If we look at the socio-economic situation of the hamlet, it was connected to the grid only very
recently. We also came to know about a case where the villagers felt that they had been overcharged in the electricity bill and had not consumed the said number of units. The meter installed
at the home was also not transparent. Although it might well be the case that the previous debts
were being shown in the bill. On the whole however, it seems that the solar pump is working to
the satisfaction of the people here.

Figure 3-3 Hand Pump at Ujjaini

The pump installed at Avade (Figure 3-4 and 3-5) was installed after a proposal for the same was
submitted by the Sarpanch to the GSDA and under their scheme, the funds were released. The
pump is being implemented to supply water for only a part of the village where most of the
households earn their living through farming. The irrigation pumps are run using electricity,
while the solar pump provides for the drinking water through tank storage. The pump set-up here
consisted of the panel and an AC-DC converter along with automated ON/OFF switches. The
people here were also satisfied with the performance although they had to pay Rs. 60/month as
water-tax.

12

Figure 3-4 Solar panel at Avade

Figure 3-5 Control Unit at Avade

The third location, Angav (Figure 3-6) is considerably closer to a semi-urban setting. The solar
pump here was installed in 2011 and supplied drinking water to around 30 households
(population of 150). Although most of the characteristics here are similar to the other location,
the most important thing we noticed was that the panel fittings had started to rust and the terms
of this being covered in the warranty are not clear as such since it only talks about the
performance of the system. The people here were also satisfied with the installation claiming that
it takes only 2-3 hours for the tank to get filled up.
13

Figure 3-6 Solar Panel at Angav

3.2 Rotary Club Joggers park, Vile Parle, Mumbai

The solar pump installed at the rotary club joggers park (Figure 3-7), is an example of an
installation in an urban setting. The installation was taken up as a project initiative by the club
itself in the year 2010-11. The total park area is roughly 3.5 acres and is open for public use for
health and recreation purposes. The pump was installed in September itself and has been
working well. The technical details of the pump can be seen in Appendix II.
The water for the park is supplied by the BMC which is stored in an underground tank and the
pump drives the water through the sprinklers spread across the park. Before the installation, the
system use to run on grid electricity with 4-5 hours of operation. The solar panel is not connected
to a battery and instead directly powers the pump and hence operates during the day time when
the sunlight is sufficient.
Along with the solar panel for water pumping, an additional solar panel has also been installed
for running the lights in the park and functions separately through a battery system.

14

Figure 3-7 Solar panel at Joggers park

The system is currently operated by the same technicians who used to operate the pump
previously and based on the interaction, their knowledge and experience in operating the pump
with DC power is questionable. The panel si cleaned every 15 days currently. An important point
to note is that the warranty for the system is only for 1 year (solar panel for 10 years).

15

3.3 BMC Cement Storage and Engineering Projects building

The site refers to the BMC printing press, cement godown and engineering projects office, in
Byculla, Mumbai. As such, this is also an example of an installation in an urban setting.
Since the concerned authorities were a little reluctant in sharing all the details of the project, the
exact nature of the origins of this set-up are unknown. The pump was installed roughly around
June 2012, to replace a 5hp pump being run on electricity. The new pump installed was a
submersible pump being run on solar panels that have been placed on the terrace of the building.
The pump is used to drive the water from the underground water tank (water provided through
BMC) to the overhead tank placed on the terrace itself (roughly 70 feet) from where it is used for
drinking purposes in the building. The technical details of the pump can be seen in Appendix III.
The technicians working there have no role to play in the functioning of the solar pump as it
completely automated. Although it was noticed that even cleaning of the solar panel was not
being done, as the layers of dust were visible. The authorities claimed that the pump is able to fill
up the tank in roughly 5-6 hours. The pump is driven directly by the solar panel and has no
battery system.

16

Conclusions and Learning Outcomes

Based on our findings through the case studies, the learning outcomes can be summarized as
follows:
1. With the implementation of community based management, the community takes ownership
of the water supply installation and becomes responsible for the operational costs. When a
solar pump system is installed then the community does not collect money as there are no
operational costs. This leads to a crisis when the system requires a service or replacement
after a few years of operation. Hence the system of collecting a water tax seems more
suitable.
2. The use of batteries can be replaced by having a larger water storage system in the form of a
tank. In our experience, we discovered from the local people that even in cloudy conditions,
the pump was able to fill up the tank, which is a positive sign for shifting towards tank
storage rather than battery storage.
3. Corrosion is a major problem for the pump as well as the panel holdings. Corrosion
prevention measures can be installed so that the pump casing is not corroded.
4. Solar pumps do not utilize boreholes to the full extent a borehole with a safe yield of
5m3/hour will deliver more in 8 hours when pumped with a diesel engine than with a solar
pump. It is understood that tracking will provide a better utilization factor but still not the
same capacity as diesel.
5. The perception of the people still remains that solar pumps are high capital cost and as such
are only a viable option in case of support from larger organizations like a farmer community
or the government.
6. There is no focus on developing technical skill among the people using the system on a daily
basis and in case of any issues; the company has to be contacted. In case of areas that are not
easily accessible, this becomes a huge problem as the drinking water is an essential
commodity.
7. Maintenance tasks such as cleaning of the panels or operation on a daily basis along with
passive tracking should be assigned exclusively to designated people to ensure smooth
operation.
8. Contrary to popular perception, even urban settings provide for feasible deployment of solar
pumps, mainly when the quantity of water to be pumped and stored is larger in quantity, thus
making it more economically feasible.
17

Recommendations

1. As seen in the system installed at Ujjaini, passive tracking is low-cost alternative to

continuous tracking when there is enough performance for the required operation. This is
much better than a fixed position of the panel and will improve efficiency considerable only
at the cost of involvement of local people in operation of the movement.
2. The choice of pump in terms of AC or DC has to be looked at more closely to understand the
trade-off involved in cost, availability, performance, stability and reliability of the motors
versus the cost of a DC-AC converter.
3. The inclusion of a float switch in the system will lead to automated management of the water
level and as such will give clear indication of the tank level along with reducing the need for
an operator.
4. Focus should be on developing awareness about the option of solar pumps through schemes
funded by the government. As we saw in the case of Avade, the initiative by local
administration is very important.
5. Resources should also be allocated towards developing technical understanding and skills
among the local people to reduce dependency on services provided by the company.
6. Steps should be taken to build a database of the operation timings of the pump along with the
performance in terms of level of water in tank to better understand the performance of
combinations of systems in diverse settings.
7. The issues of proper sizing of pumps should be dealt with more rigorously to understand the

drivers of successful operation in a given situation.

18

References

[1] Image taken from www.solarpump.com

[2] Image taken from www.morispumps.com
[3] A report on Solar PV Applications in India, published by Center for Study of Science, Technology
and Policy (2006-07)
[4] Odeh, I, Yohanis, Y.G., and Norton, B. Economic viability of photovoltaic water pumping systems.
Solar Energy 80 [2006], pp. 850-860, www.sciencedirect.com
[5] Kamel, K. and Dahl, C. The economics of hybrid power systems for sustainable desert agriculture in
Egypt. Solar Energy [2005], pp. 1271-1281, www.sciencedirect.com
[6] Cuadros, F., Lopez-Rodriguez, F., Marcos, A. and Coello, J. A procedure to size solar-powered
irrigation [photoirrigation] schemes. Solar Energy 76 [2004], pp. 465-473, www.sciencedirect.com.
[7] Foster, R.E., Gupta, V.P. and Sanchez-Juarez, A. Field Testing of CdTe PV Modules in Mexico.
ASES Solar 2006: Renewable Energy: Key to Climate Recovery. Jul. 8-13, 2006, Denver, CO, 6pp..
[8] Daud, A.-K. and Mahmoud, M. M. Solar powered induction motor-driven water pump operating on a
desert well, simulation and field tests. Renewable Energy 30 [2005] pp. 701-714,
[9] Clark, R.N. Photovoltaic water pumping for livestock in the Southern Plains. American Society of
Agricultural Engineers Paper No. 94-4529, 1994.
[10] Vick, B.D. and Clark, R.N. Comparison of Solar Powered Water Pumping systems which use
Diaphragm Pumps. ASES 2007: Sustainable Energy Puts America to Work. July 7-12, Cleveland, OH, 6
pp.
[11] Clark, R.N. and Vick, B.D., Performance Comparison of Tracking and Non-Tracking Solar
Photovoltaic Water Pumping Systems, American Society of Agricultural Engineers. 1997, ASAE Paper
No. 97-4003,
[12]Clark, R.N., Vick, B. D., and Ling, S., Remote water pumping using a 1 kilowatt solar-PV AC
system, American Society of Agricultural Engineers Paper No. 98-4087, 1998, 12 pp.
[13]Vick, B.D., Clark, R.N., Solar-PV Water Pumping with Fixed and Passive Tracking Panels. ASES
Solar 2002: Sunrise on the Reliable Energy Economy, Jun. 15-19, 2002, Reno, NV, 6 pp.
[14]Vick, B.D., Clark, R.N., Water Pumping Performance of a Solar-PV Helical Pump, ISES 2005 Solar
World Congress: Solar Energy Bringing Water to the World Aug. 6-12, Orlando, FL, 5 pp.

19

Appendix I
No Particulars

Project Site 1

Project Site 2

Project Site 3

Location
(habitation/GP/Taluka)

Implementation Date/Status

Ujjaini/
Bhokarpada/
Wada
April 2011/ Working

Aavade/
Vishwagarh/
Bhiwandi
Under Construction

Angav/
Angav/
Bhiwandi
2011

Dependent Houses/People

44/260

75/400

30/150

No of Stand posts

NA

Yield of Source

Other Water sources

Power rating

NA
SVS
450/900

900/900

900/900

5000/1.5

NA

5000/3

(Solar panel(Wp)/ pump(W))

8

GSR Capacity(l)/
Height(m)

Time taken to fill the

tank(hrs)/No of fillings

5/1

NA

2-3/1

10

VWSC(Y/N)

11

Water Tax(Rs/month)

50

60

12

Village Electrified(Y/N),
Load shedding

Y(recently),

Y,

Y,

5-6 hrs

once a week

No

Bharat Lahange/
Operator
09260353264

Anant Jadhav/
Sarpanch
09158835369

Ramchandra Kalu
Shelar/ Sarpanch

13

Contact Person/ Role

08087765587
14

Peoples View

Satisfied

20

Appendix II
GENERAL INFORMATION

Date of survey 18/9/2012

Details

Name, Address and Contact Number of the Pump owner Rotary Club Joggers Park, Vile Parle,
Mumbai. Contact: Mr. Sanjay (Sanjay marketing), Mobile: 09820223853

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
2

Source of Water:
(Details of availability, head and distance
required)

Details of pre-solar pump installation situation,

any problems incurred
Previous cost for irrigation Vs Current Cost
(Can be used to calculate ROI)
Installation date and scheme (if benefited)

System current working status

System is very new, working fine till now

Solar panel (Make, ratings, Type )

Pump(Make, ratings, Type )

Considered using the old pump (if electric)?

8
9

Type of irrigation system, total land holding

(ha)
Do they store Water in a tank? Type of storage?

Thin Film solar cells. 12 modules. Type: Schott

ASI 97. Power = 118.3W, V = 17.42V, I =
5.57A. Company: Schott Solar AG (D-63755)
2 hp Green force pump. Details are with Snajay
marketing. Operating minimum DC voltage =
400V
Sprinklers. Total 31, out of which 8-11 are used
at a time on rotating basis for an hour
Pump water from underground tank to individual
sprinklers 33 mtr head

10

Tank (Dimension, Type), location

11

Else is there storage battery? How do they meet

surge current requirement for starting the
motor?
Water-head to be pumped

No battery

Typical duty cycle (frequency of irrigation),

System Downtime/Non-operational time (in
weeks or months )
Operation and maintenance issues (Failures):
Guarantees, Agreements

Operate during the day for 5 hours in the

morning and afternoon

12
13

14

15

BMC provides the

water to the
underground tank of
capacity 40,000 liters
electric pumps, 7.5 hp
8 units of electricity per hour, with 4-5 hours of
operation
8/9/2012

33 mtrs

Panel cleaning is done every 15 days. One year

maintenance warranty by Sanjay marketing,
Solar Panel warranty for 25 years (10%
degradation in 10 years)
Yes electricity Is available throughout the day

Electricity (Y/N, duration per day), quality of

power supply,
21

SOCIO-ECONOMIC PARAMETERS
16

Details of payment for water availability

One time payment of Rs. 6,40,000

17

Installation stakeholders
(Mainly the owner and the vendor)
Cost incurrence (in percentage or in actual
figures), What percentage is loan? Rate of
Interest?
(GSDA/Panchayat/Self/others)
Any remarks on performance

Rotary Club and Sanjay Marketing

Utilization
Area under each crop (ha) being irrigated using
the system, yields
Change in yield/Extra income generation due to
irrigation calculate the ROIs
Any alternative usage planned for the system
(At least panels) so as to enhance the economic
viability?
Local technician available (Y/N)

Total park area is 3-3.5 acre

18

19
20

21
22

23
24
25

One time payment by the club. Part of 2010-11

projects. Solar panle has names of Manu
Sachdeva and Priti Lohia

How do they plan to bear O&M cost (expected

cost?)
Other Remarks or observation

Separate panels for the lighting 1.2kW. 53 light

bulbs with battery (48V and 200Ah)
Not technician, but operator, has knowledge
about pump operation
1 year warranty, after that club will bear cost

26

Directions to reach the village/ hamlet

(train/+bus/+auto..), approx. distance and time

Joggers park is near Mithibai College in Vile

Parle

27

Name of the surveyor and contact no.

Amit Desai - 9769061907

Appendix III
22

GENERAL INFORMATION

Date of survey 3/12/2012

Details

Name, Address and Contact Number of the Pump owner: BMC, Cement godown, nimkar Road,
Byculla, Mumbai. Contact person: Mr. Deepak Tupe, 9579061984

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
2

Source of Water:
(Details of availability, head and distance
required)

Details of pre-solar pump installation situation,

any problems incurred
Previous cost for irrigation Vs Current Cost
(Can be used to calculate ROI)
Installation date and scheme (if benefited)

System current working status

Working fine till now

Solar panel (Make, ratings, Type )

16X TataBP 1280. 80 Watt, 18.2 V, 4.4 A

Submersible Pump (1hp-2hp), (30-300V)

Pump(Make, ratings, Type )

Considered using the old pump (if electric)?
Type of irrigation system, total land holding
(ha)
Do they store Water in a tank? Type of storage?

10

Tank (Dimension, Type), location

50,000 Ltrs, on the terrace

11

Else is there storage battery? How do they meet

surge current requirement for starting the
motor?
Water-head to be pumped

No battery

12
13

BMC provides the

water to the
underground tank of
capacity 50,000 liters
electric pump, 5 hp
2 hours of operation on electricity
June 2012

Water being pumped to overhead tank

Water stored in Overhead tank

70 ft.

Typical duty cycle (frequency of irrigation),

System Downtime/Non-operational time (in
weeks or months )
14 Operation and maintenance issues (Failures):
Guarantees, Agreements
15 Electricity (Y/N, duration per day), quality of
power supply,
SOCIO-ECONOMIC PARAMETERS

Operate during the day for 5 hours in the

morning and afternoon

16

Details of payment for water availability

NA

17

Installation stakeholders
(Mainly the owner and the vendor)
Cost incurrence (in percentage or in actual
figures), What percentage is loan? Rate of
Interest?
(GSDA/Panchayat/Self/others)

BMC office

18

Panel was not cleaned

Yes electricity Is available throughout the day

NA

23

19

Any remarks on performance

20

Utilization
Area under each crop (ha) being irrigated using
the system, yields
Change in yield/Extra income generation due to
irrigation calculate the ROIs
Any alternative usage planned for the system
(At least panels) so as to enhance the economic
viability?
Local technician available (Y/N)

21
22

23
24
25

How do they plan to bear O&M cost (expected

cost?)
Other Remarks or observation

NA

No

No technician available, contact company in case

of a problem
NA

26

Directions to reach the village/ hamlet

(train/+bus/+auto..), approx. distance and time

Walking distance from Byculla Station

27

Name of the surveyor and contact no.

Amit Desai - 9769061907

24