Tips for Installing Solar Pumps for Farms
Water and accessing water, plays a pivotal role for livestock operators around Australia. With an endless array of pump technology provided to farmers to assist in pumping water, an easy, affordable and reliant water pump is what counts when finding the right solution for livestock needs.
The LORENTZ range of solar water pumps provides livestock farmers with technology designed specifically for agricultural applications. However, the ability of solar water pumping is not a concern, it is the installation of the system that is paramount. Not installing your solar water pump correctly can result in an ineffectual process of pumping water from bores, rivers, tanks, and wells. Let’s find out the five mistakes people make when installing solar water pumps for livestock purposes.
1. Solar Array Angle and Orientation
Installing solar panels in the incorrect orientation decreases the available solar power for use with your solar pumping system. Before undertaking the install it is crucial to make sure that the location and orientation of the panels is correct for the geographical location.
LORENTZ works closely with dealers to bring the best information when it comes to installing solar water pumps, as well as software and technical support to ensure each LORENTZ solar power system will operate at peak efficiency.
2. Controller Configuration
Solar Pumping capabilities can be decreased due to the ineffective implementation of the controller settings. By properly employing these settings, not only can the Solar Pump become more efficient, but it can prolong the life of your installation. Configuring settings like start and stop delay timers and speed limitations (for low yielding bores) can dramatically improve the life of your system, while getting the most out of your Pump.
The LORENTZ PS2 controller is programmed through the LORENTZ Pump Scanner Application (currently available on Android), which serves as an interface to your system while data-logging events and previous pumping history to ensure you are getting the best out of your bore.
The LORENTZ PS2 Controller also has multiple fail-safe and protective measures to prevent issues from occurring. With a LORENTZ system, not only are you protected from dry-running, over-voltage, over-heating and over-pressurising; but you can rest-assured that the latest generation of high efficiency solar pumping controllers are reliably delivering water.
3. Electrical and Plumbing Issues
One of the larger issues surrounding Solar Pump installations is the incorrect configuration of Panels when connecting the Controller. Over-voltage of the Controller can result in the instant destruction of core components, resulting in the need for a new controller. On the other side of the coin, the Controllers all have a minimum required operational voltage to run their pumps. Making sure that there is enough power to run the pump, but not enough to over-voltage the controller, is vital.
When installing the Solar Array, pay close attention to the maximum and minimum required operating voltages of the controller. This information and more is available in the LORENTZ owner’s manual, the side of the controller and inside the cover.
When everything electrical is sorted, the next concern moves to the plumbing of the system. Unnecessary bends, changes in pipe size and unused components create head pressure which may be affecting your pumping performance. Usually the simplest solution is the best, where a handful of carefully selected components contribute to controlling the system without introducing too much complexity.
Using appropriately sized pipe is a must for solar pumps, and incorrect selection of plumbing can dramatically affect your delivery. When sizing LORENTZ solar pumps, the sizing software will calculate the minimum and recommended pipe sizes to help deliver what you need, without running the risk of poor performance.
4. Insufficient Water Storage
Water storage is equally important as water delivery. Without the proper facilities to house the water, the water delivery system is instantly strained, and the life of the pump is already at risk. Having a few days’ worth of stored water is advantageous, with benefits to your pump life and assurance that your stock or irrigation system have water available; even through cloudy days or overnight.It is better to have a pump running for long periods of time rather than running in short bursts to top up any nearby watering point. This can be done by setting start/stop delays in the LORENTZ PS2 Controller to prevent the pump from experiencing premature wear, as well as having a suitably sized tank or storage facility.
5. Selecting the Right Pump System
When planning a solar pump the most important step is selecting the right system. A big problem with solar pumping selection is unnecessarily oversizing the system, and inversely not considering the solar power available and potentially under sizing.
LORENTZ solar pumping systems have the capability to be run either purely on solar, or with a combination of solar, generator and battery power to extend the hours of operation of the pump. ReAqua is able to size and provide tailored battery solutions based on your pumping requirements to help you get the most out of the solar day. Depending on the requirements of the pumping system, the LORENTZ range has you covered with a large collection of pumps and power options.
