Can a solar pump help lower energy bills and improve the environment?

By definition a pump is a machine or device for raising, compressing or transferring of fluids such as water.  As most of us know pumps are used in a variety of applications.  Of note is the ever growing popularity of using solar pumps to bring water to livestock in isolated areas, rather than depending on streams or riverbeds.  The benefits of using solar energy versus traditional fossil fuels to operate these pumps are proving not only to be economical but also environmentally friendly.

Cattlemen can better utilize their pasture, save money, reduce stream bank erosion, and improve cattle performance in remote acres of pasture fields.

It is estimated that most solar pumping livestock watering systems will cost $5,000-$7,000, depending on the type of pump, number of water tanks, feet of pipe, number of solar panels and the hours of labor needed for hire.   But this is still considerably cheaper than installing the traditional electrical pump watering system that can go as high as $20,000.
The solar-powered system will save money in the long-run, too. Once the system is installed, that’s the end of it. With an electric pump, you would pay about $30 in basic monthly fees, not including the cost to run the pump.
Another benefit of the solar-powered pump system is livestock health. The cattle stay in good condition when they have access to clean, reliable water.

The life expectancy of the solar pump system is about 20 years and it is recommended to keep the solar panels clean for optimum performance. It is also critical that the solar panels and pump are grounded properly.
Materials, equipment and installation for solar-powered livestock watering systems are eligible for financial and technical assistance through the 2009 Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). EQIP is a voluntary conservation program that promotes agricultural production and environmental quality.

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Build a solar power system.

Just to be clear, the solar power system is the electrical portion.  The solar power panels are what gather the energy which is then converted to electricity by the solar power system.  Semantics out of the way let’s begin…

Overview… a rather simple way to build a solar power system:

Battery – a marine battery or a golf cart battery are reasonable choices here.  They will need to be 80-100% charged.  The number of batteries needed is determined by your wattage.

Container – put your batteries in some sort of container (have plenty of room in the container and ventilation to allow hydrogen to dispel).  Line up the batteries with the positive charges on one side and the negative charges on the other side.  Then connect terminal jumpers between each of the batteries.

Inverter and charge controller – Connect both the inverter to the batteries and the charge controller.  (The inverter is not turned on at this point)

Solar panel – Once everything is wired together connect the system to the solar panels.  Now turn the inverter on and check your work.

Glossary of terms used above:

Battery: The size of your battery bank will depend on the storage capacity needed.  Deep Cycle Lead-acid batteries are specifically designed to be discharged and re-charged thousands of times.  The amperage will depend on your needs.  But a deep cycle battery is a must.

Inverter: The inverter changes the DC power stored in the battery to AC which is used in your home

Charge Controller or regulator: This device monitors the battery’s state of charge, ensuring the battery isn’t over-charged but also noting when the battery needs charge

Container: The container can be just about any unit of desire.  Some recommend building an actual structure like a ‘pump’ house.  Beware that cold can affect the batteries performance and since batteries have been known to explode a word of caution is advisable.

Solar panel: The output of a solar panel is more often stated in ‘watts’.  This is the unit that captures the sun’s energy and is often made of silicon.

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Is solar energy really worth the investment?

What exactly are the benefits of this new energy form?

To begin solar energy is a direct correlation from the sun’s rays.  It is said that there is enough energy from the sun to fuel the world’s population forever!  This brings us to the first advantage of solar energy…renewable

1.    Renewable energy – unlike fossil fuels the sun is constant source of energy.  In fact according to some sources the sun provides enough energy in one minute to supply the world’s energy needs in one day.  Unlike fossil fuels, it

appears to be limitless.
2.    Low noise pollution – many of our appliances, backyard tools, construction machinery, cars, trucks and airplanes contribute to the noises that we hear on a consistent basis to the point some have termed ‘noise pollution’.  Producing solar energy is rather quite and doesn’t appear to disturb the environment in this way.
3.    Low maintenance – looking at the aspect of the average homeowner, the maintenance of PV panels and a solar energy system is relatively maintenance free.  Checking battery power and the occasional cleaning of solar panels appear to be the only maintenance required in the short term.
4.    Low cost – this can be somewhat misleading.  As in the maintenance aspect low cost is mostly applied to the ongoing process of the solar power system.  Once the system is set up and running, there is a low cost to no cost in the terms of dollars.  Thus, having the ability to reduce your monthly electric bill by a substantial amount and if you can get totally off the grid, the cost is zero except for repairs and such of your system.

Sound good so far?  What’s the catch?

One of the primary disadvantages and limitations to a solar energy system for your home is the cost.  So far there are not very many  alternatives that are presently being used on a large enough scale for utility companies to sell the energy as they do with fossil fuels.
1.    The cost of creating and installing a solar energy system for your home has many factors to consider.  The most important would be of course the wattage requirement of your home.  This knowledge of your usage will help to gauge how much power you will need to plan to capture and from there get a ball park of the cost.  At present it is still more expensive than traditional energy sources, but after the initial outlay your costs can be captured back in 2-6 years by the savings on your electric bill, which is projected to be extremely costly in the future as our supply of fossil fuels dwindle.
2.    The second disadvantage is the amount of sunlight.  Different parts of the world have different amounts of the sun’s energy.  That being said, the SW part of the US is a good one, but even in other areas it is still possible, just more problematic, perhaps to supplement with wind or thermal.

What ever the outcome, it appears certain that our present energy supply will continue to dwindle and to become more and more expensive.  At present solar energy is in the forefront of possible alternatives to fuel our energy needs.  It has the most potential for being renewable and consistent, available in all parts of the globe and environmentally clean and safe.

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Solar power is a term that represents a method of harnessing energy from the sun’s radiant light and heat.  It can be possible as a viable source of energy.   Solar radiation combined with a secondary source such as wind and wave power can be converted to create a consistent renewable energy source.  Many homeowners are doing just that as the cost of energy continues to rise.

To increase solar energy viability:
Passive solar power is a method of using the heat from the sun to increase the energy efficiency of a dwelling.  Such methods would include optimizing the site to orientate the dwelling to the best advantage of the sun’s light and heat.  Also, utilize materials such as thermal windows that have light dispersing properties, designing spaces that allow air to circulate naturally etc.
Active solar power is characterized by the use of photovoltaic panels (solar panels) and solar thermal collectors.  This equipment  harnesses the sunlight and converts it into a useful distribution such as electricity.  Over the past few decades improvements to the photovoltaic panels have been dramatic making the use of solar panels much more efficient and cost effective and safe.

The sun acts as a fusion reactor that has been burning for billions of years.  According to some sources the energy produced from the sun over a 3-day period is more energy than all the fossil fuel energy available to us today!  Technology is available now, in our time to turn sunlight and wind  into usable energy that is not only renewable but cost effective, clean and efficient!

An example of a parabolic dish, which actually has many purposes, one of which is a solar thermal collector.

Typical solar panels often used in residential and small building type dwellings.  There are many sources for DIY solar panel kits that are available and that can be cost effective for the average homeowner.

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