Solar Water Pumps: Why Solar Water Pumps Are a Great Fit for Watering Livestock.

Advanced Power Inc. Solar Powered Water Well Pumps in use in pastures for watering livestock.

Solar Powered Water Well Pump in remote pasture location.

In a study in Midwestern climatic conditions conducted at Iowa State University over a five summer and four winter period it was observed that yearling feedlot cattle consumed more water in the summer than in the winter by nearly 35% in an uncovered environment such as an open pasture. The greatest water consumption periods were between 12 and 3 pm in the summer time and between 3 and 6 pm in the winter. It was noted as would be expected that ambient temperature had a greater effect on water consumption than did live weight. It was also observed that in lactating dairy cattle that at 35 degrees F cattle consumed 6 gallons per day and when the temperature rose to 95 degrees F the cattle consumed 17.69 gallons per day.

What does this mean in terms of pumping water with solar powered water pumps for livestock consumption? We know the sun heats the earths atmosphere so for there to be increased heat there has to be increased sunlight, and that sunlight produces the needed energy to run the solar powered water pumps. When the long hot days of summer are upon us, and the sun is beating down on the cattle the sun is also providing extended hours of pumping for the solar pumps. When water consumption is at it's highest point among the livestock the solar powered pumps are producing their greatest water output. The shorter days of winter provide less pumping from the solar pumps but that is when the cattle are drinking considerably less so the solar powered pumping system fits perfectly to the demand according to the weather conditions.

Solar Powered Well Pump for Livestock in Western KS.

Even on cloudy or overcast days most solar pumps will produce a limited amount of water when provided enough solar power. The more shallow the well typically the more water one will see provided by the solar pumping system. More solar power always equates to more daily water production even if it does not mean more gallons per minute in bright sunlight. At many times a solar pump may be able to function quite nicely on say 100 watts of power in bright sunlight but 200 watts will make the pump start earlier in the morning and run later in the evening and make the pump produce more water in low light and cloudy situations. The nice thing is on cloudy and over cast days typically the temperature is cooler and the livestock are requiring less water. Especially in rainy cloudy weather where there may actually be moisture on the forage that animals are consuming they may actually get enough moisture from the plants that they need very little if any water from the well.

Solar well pump system installed in 1990 in Western Oklahoma.

Even extreme winter use with solar pumps typically works well as long as freezing weather precautions are used. There must be a weep hole in the vertical pipe in the well so that it can drain below frost level when the pump shuts off at night or when extremely low light conditions occur during the day. Also it is a must that the pipe delivering the water to the tank is on such an angle that it drains completely so that water can't freeze in it and crate an ice plug. It's very important that the delivery pipe to that tank have no loops or low places in it that can hold water and freeze. The solar pumps will certainly produce less gallons per day during winter pumping hours versus summer hours but the demand from the livestock will be less as well.

This is why solar powered water pumps are a perfect fit for watering livestock. During the changing seasons as the hours of the day and the amount of water produced change, so does the demand from the animals the water is being provided for.