Solar Water Pumps

Watch a video about our systems and how easy they are to install.

http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/ia/home/?cid=nrcs142p2_008609

http://solarpumpguy.blogspot.com/2015/05/why-solar-water-pumps-are-great-fit-for.html

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Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Solar-Powered Pump Combats Livestock Watering Issues

By Jason Johnson, Public Affairs Specialist Eight 175-watt solar panels power a pump sending water through 4,600 feet of pipe to three watering tanks, reaching elevations of 150 feet on Dick Lester's pasture in northern Cherokee County.

Eight 175-watt solar panels power a pump sending water through 4,600 feet of pipe to three watering tanks, reaching elevations of 150 feet on Dick Lester's pasture in northern Cherokee County.

December 2008

Solar panels that provide energy to pump water for their livestock watering system are allowing cattleman Dick Lester, owner of Spring Valley Ranch in Cherokee County, and operators Britt and Mark Carlson to better utilize their pasture, save money, reduce streambank erosion, and improve cattle performance on the remote 650-acre pasture.

Lester is one of several northwest Iowa livestock producers to implement the solar-powered watering system in recent years. Lester's system was planned, installed and cost-shared through Iowa Lakes Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) offsite link image

, based in Spencer. Jeff Kestel, Iowa Lakes RC&D coordinator, called Lester's livestock watering needs a "worst-case scenario" in terms of the distance and elevation water needed to be pumped.

When Lester purchased his Cherokee County property a few years ago, he felt he needed better utilization of the hilly pasture, and a better water source than the creek running through the pasture. His solar-powered system includes three watering tanks, each elevated and away from the creek.

Lester's new watering system was completed early in 2008, and cattle grazed the pasture with positive results. "The placement of the watering tanks allowed better forage utilization," he said. "If you go up the hills now, you can see the cattle used the whole pasture." The Carlsons say their 300-head of cattle of purebred Angus cattle are no longer all together, but spread out near the water tanks, which they like.

Streambanks on Dick Lester's pasture are recovering after just one year with the improvements to his grazing system.

Erosion control and water quality benefits can also be attributed to the solar pumping system. For example, streambanks along Lester's creek are healing with signs of reduced erosion and vegetative growth, which means cleaner water with less sediment buildup. "Livestock stay away from the creek now, which cuts down on streambank erosion," says Brian Peterson, state grassland specialist withUSDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). "The banks are no longer bare, and that's because cattle have access to other water."

Lester says it's amazing how quickly grass returned to the streambanks since installing the new solar watering system. "Anybody can see that it's way better for the land," he said.

The solar-powered watering system provides cost and energy savings, too. Lester saved money on installation, choosing not to run electricity to his remote pasture site for pumping power. The rural electric cooperative (REC) that services northern Cherokee County estimates it would cost Lester about $4.75 per foot, or more than $20,000, to run electricity to his water pump. "I like the idea of solar power and not depending on electricity from the grid to run it," he said. "The pasture is a good mile off the road. That is a long way to run electricity."

Lester says the solar-powered system will save him money in the long-run, too. "Once you've installed the system, that's the end of it," he said. With an electric pump, Lester would pay about $30 in basic monthly fees, not including the cost to run the pump.

Another benefit of the solar-powered system is livestock health. Peterson says cattle stay in good condition when they have access to clean, reliable water.

How does the solar powered system work?

Kestel says Lester's new watering system is extraordinary in size and scope. Water is delivered from the creek through a pea gravel trench, buried 15 feet underground, to a helical rotary pump. Eight 175-watt solar panels power the pump that sends water through 4,600 feet of pipe to three watering tanks, reaching elevations of 150 feet above the pump.

Kestel points to a sensor that triggers water to be pumped to a watering tank on Dick Lester's pasture in Larrabee, IA. (L-R) Cherokee County District Conservationist Renee Braun, Kestel, Dewey Stouffer of Little Sioux Prairie Company, NRCS State Grassland Specialist Brian Peterson, and Jim Stanzel of Little Sioux Prairie look on

Dewey Stouffer, of Little Sioux Prairie Company offsite link image

, installed Lester's solar powered livestock watering system. He says water levels in the tanks signal the pump to add water. "When there is demand for water, a valve opens, and the pressure tank supplies water until the pressure is gone," he said. "Then it pumps nine gallons of water per minute up the hill until the tank shuts off. The system will pressurize again and shut off."

Stouffer says the size of pump and number of solar panels you need depends on the number of cattle, water source, amount of lift and how far water needs to be pumped. He said no batteries are involved. "We're storing water in the big water tanks rather than storing electricity in batteries," he said.

Solar-powered systems, like Lester's, rely on sunlight to generate power to the pump, but Kestel says cattle generally don't drink as much water when it's cloudy or rainy anyway. "The tanks are big enough that cattle have reserve water for nights and cloudy days," he said. Even on summer days with full cloud cover, Kestel says the pump will operate, but at a reduced rate.

How much does the system cost?

Kestel estimates 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.

The life expectancy of the system is about 20 years. Stouffer recommends keeping the solar panels clean for optimum performance. It is also critical that the solar panels and pump are grounded properly.

For more information about solar powered livestock watering systems or to see a demonstration on how the system works, visit your local NRCS field office.

RC&D Projects Helped Natural Resources, Economic Development

Jeff Kestel, Iowa Lakes Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) coordinator, helped guide several livestock producers in northwest Iowa through their solar-powered livestock watering system funding, setup and installation. Iowa Lakes RC&D partnered Solar panels absorb sunlight to power a helical rotary pump.

Solar panels absorb sunlight to power a helical rotary pump.

with Iowa NRCS to provide 75 percent cost-share to pay for the projects through Conservation Technical Assistance (CTA) funds.

Iowa Lakes RC&D is one of 17 councils in Iowa and 375 councils nationally that works to create jobs, protect the environment and improve the quality of life in rural communities. Kestel said the solar pumping livestock watering project is a perfect example of a good RC&D project. "It involves seeking out funds, working with several producers on natural resource-based projects and cooperating with NRCS offices and soil and water conservation districts," he said. "It is a business development project for Dewey (Stouffer), who is now a local contractor for solar equipment. The solar pumping project has benefited both natural resources and economic development for our area."

To learn more about RC&Ds and to locate an office near you, visit www.ia.nrcs.usda.gov/partnerships/rcandd.html.

Solar Pumps Eligible Through EQIP

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. Visit your local NRCS field office for additional information.

Watch a video about our systems and how easy they are to install.

Why use Advanced Power Inc.?

Have you ever wanted to live off the grid? Lower utility bills? Provide for yourself rather than relying on “the man”? Maybe you just want good clean natural water instead of the chemically treated water that many Americans are so dependent on today in our cities and towns. Whatever you need, with a well, there’s a way.

The people here at Advanced Power Inc. have been improving and perfecting the ideas of using solar energy to power water pumps since 1988. Throughout the years we have used engineering and the process of trial and error until we finally landed on what we consider the best in the industry!

Stainless steel is the industry standard when it comes to solar pumps, and it is used by most of the water pumping industry today. However, we here at Advanced Power Inc. don’t believe in the bare minimum. We believe in using the best resources to make the best products possible for our customers. Instead of opting for stainless steel, we choose to use aircraft grade aluminum in our products. Aluminum is much stronger pound for pound than its steel counterpart but more importantly; it dissipates heat at a much faster rate. That means the aluminum housings used in our pumps will get rid of any heat created by the motor much faster and lower the risks of overheating our state of the art brushless motors and electrical components, which leads to longer pump life.

Our advanced motors are yet another thing in which we strive to be the best. For years brushed motors were the motors of choice in solar pumps but the required constant maintenance along with the headaches of repairs and replacements were outrageous. We knew there had to be a better way, that’s why we researched and chose brushless motors for our solar pumps. Brushless motors are more durable, more efficient, more powerful, and doesn’t need airflow to stay cooled; which means we can completely enclose them inside our aluminum casings to prevent damage from harmful debris.

While providing truly exceptional hand made pumps proudly built in the USA, our prices are still at or far below most other companies in the industry. Many of which import far lesser quality pumps from China, and tout them as being assembled in America!

The size and connections of our company allows us to buy our materials and equipment at a much lower price, which in turn makes our savings, your savings. Not only do we save you money, but we also place at least a two-year warranty on every pump sold because it is critical to us that we provide our customers with quality products and service.

Coming from humble beginnings, we realize and remember how important it is to have a positive relationship with our customers. We understand the concept of ‘wear and tear’ and realize that all solar pumps need a little maintenance from time to time, and we want to help our customers with anything they may need; so if you’re pump is not running as well as you had hoped, you can give us a call and send in your pump to be inspected by one of our highly qualified technicians. Most of our competition will only push you to buy an entirely new pumping system, if they even let you send your pump in at all!

Above is some of the team members here at Advanced Power Inc..

Take advantage of the technological advances we have made throughout our time in the industry and contact one of our exceptional system specialists for a free no hassle quote on one of our quality solar water pumping systems today!

Whether your water need is for your remote cabin, your crop and cattle, or to fill a pond without the added expense of an increase in your water or electric bill; if you’re thinking about tapping into the clean natural resources of the earth, we want to be there to help you every step, because if there’s a well, there’s a way!

Watch a video about our systems and how easy they are to install.

http://solarpumpguy.blogspot.com/2015/05/why-solar-water-pumps-are-great-fit-for.html

Sharing an article found in The Cattleman magazine. Link to actual article :http://www.thecattlemanmagazine.com/archives/2013/may/ranching-solar-5-13.html

Cattle turn forage into beef, but only if they have adequate water. Since the late 1800s ranchers have relied on mechanical windmills to capture the wind and use its power to pump underground water to the surface, lifting water from the well like a straw in a glass. In recent years, innovators have used solar panels to harness the energy of the sun and produce electricity to run a pump to pull the water from the ground.
"If electricity is readily available, then an electric pump may be the most cost-effective option," says Carl Homeyer, state agriculture economist for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Temple.
"Remote pumping, whether it's solar-powered or wind-generated, is worth considering whenever the distance from the utility grid exceeds about one-half mile." Utility extensions can commonly cost $10,000 to $30,000 or more per mile, making alternatives economically feasible.
Producers who are considering a remote watering system, regardless of the power source, should start with a basic list of questions.
1. How deep is the well?
Knowing the depth of the well and the depth to water is critical to sizing the pump, Homeyer says. Solar pumps are available in many flow rates from 1 gallon/minute to 80 gallons/minute. For livestock applications, 3 to 4 gallons/minute may be sufficient.
Another factor to consider is some solar pumps are variable, meaning by increasing solar panels you increase flow rate. This allows producers to compensate for deeper well depths, but raises the cost of the system, he says.
In general, mechanical windmills and solar pumps are best for small quantities of water and low pumping heads, Homeyer says. Head is the elevation difference between the water and the tank.
If producers are seeking a large-scale livestock watering application, wind-powered electric systems, which use the wind to power submersible pumps, may offer an alternative. According to information from The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, the system is more efficient over a wide range of wind speeds and requires less maintenance than a traditional windmill. With that said, they are an expensive technology and may be cost-prohibitive in many situations.
2. How far will the water need to be pumped and what is the elevation gain?
Some solar pumps are designed to pump into a pressure tank, giving producers the ability to move water to other remote areas, Homeyer says. Another advantage is that storage tanks can be equipped with a float and cut-off switch to allow the pump to operate only when water is needed.
3. How much water will need to be available and at what flow rate?
While the amount of water cattle consume each day depends on their size and the weather conditions, 25 gallons per head per day with a 3- to 7-day storage capability is the general rule of thumb, Homeyer says. Even though every animal will not drink at the same time, a 100-cow herd would need about 10,000 gallons of storage. Additional allowances may need to be made for wildlife if this is a remote watering facility, he says.
4. Will the water system be in use in the summer when demand is highest, in the winter, or year-round?
In the summer, sunshine is plentiful, and the wind blows less, Homeyer says. In the winter, the days are shorter, the sunshine is less intense, but the wind is more constant.
If a system is going to be used through the cold months, producers need to take precautions to prevent the water from freezing in the lines, creating a blockage and inadvertently burning out the pump, Homeyer says. Mechanical windmills are equipped with a wooden pump rod that acts as a shear pin to protect the windmill from damage. If winter winds restart a windmill with ice in its lines, the wooden rod shatters and prevents damage to any of the main pump parts.
5. What are the maintenance requirements?
Solar-powered watering systems generally have a higher initial cost, but require less maintenance and upkeep than mechanical windmills, Homeyer says.
Some ranchers have found that solar-powered systems generate great savings in labor and fuel costs. On a ranch in Wyoming, as reported in the Wyoming Livestock Roundup, management had a man who did nothing but check windmills 8 hours a day. Since the ranch replaced its mechanical windmills with solar-powered watering systems, the man now checks them every 3 days.
If groundwater has significant levels of suspended solids, this can cause wear on submerged electric pumps and valves, Homeyer says. Windmills and their pump systems are not as prone to damage from poor water quality.
6. What is the backup plan?
Because both windmills and solar-powered systems have periods of low production, it is important that the water system include enough storage to provide a backup supply for 3 to 7 days, Homeyer says.
In the case of the solar-powered system, it is more efficient and generally more economical to create storage than to install and operate a generator, he says.
7. What is the cost of each system?
A solar-powered submersible pump with solar panels capable of drawing water from depths greater than 400 feet may be available for approximately $8,000. New windmills may range from $5,000 to $10,000.
"Remote watering systems are not 1-size-fits-all," Homeyer says. "Each alternative has to be considered in the context of an individual ranch and an individual situation. Unless the producer has experience designing these systems, it's a good idea to contact the experts and get their ideas. Legitimate businesses should provide a design and a cost estimate that will allow producers to not only determine the expense, but the applicability to their operation."

Editor's Note: This is the fifth in a 12-part series focusing on using partial budgets to answer questions in a technique commonly known as "penciling it out." Because Texas and Oklahoma are so diverse and each ranch is unique, the series was not designed to provide a 1-size-fits-all answer. Instead it was created to help producers become familiar with a handy tool that can be used to strengthen the bottom line. The series has been developed in collaboration with Carl Homeyer, state ag economist for the USDA NRCS. Homeyer earned his bachelor's degree in range science and his master's degree in land economics and real estate from Texas A&M University. Before joining the NRCS in 2009, Homeyer operated his family's Burleson County ranch, which also includes broiler houses, while owning and running several small businesses.

"Solar Pumps vs. Windmills" is from the May 2013 issue of The Cattleman magazine.

Watch a video about our systems and how easy they are to install.

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Thursday, October 8, 2015

Come see us at the 3I Farm Show in Dodge City KS. Oct 8-10th booth #294

We are all set up and ready to visit with our past customers and new potential customers alike. We have some great giveaway items so please come see us at the Largest Farm show in KS! The 3I show in Dodge City, KS. We are located in booth #294 inside the main building.

We are displaying some of the best solar water pumps on the market as well as some small solar panels for battery charging. If you come to the booth, ask us about our show special.

We are very happy with the look of our new stand up banners, they are covered in great information and some awesome photos of our solar water pumps at work and they display all you can do with a solar powered pump. They really dress up the booth.

Bill is working on a quote for a potential customer but he's about finished and he would love to work one up for you if you need to pump some water in a remote location please let him know.

If you can't make it to the show but would like a quote please shoot us an email at sales@solarpumps.com or give Debi a call at 866.519.7892. She's still holding down the fort back at the office and she would love to hear from you as well. She knows her solar pump information and is willing to help.

We hope to see you soon!

Have a great day.

Friday, October 2, 2015

Fresh Water is Key to Healthy Wildlife on Your Property

Hunting season is right around the corner here, and has even started in other areas of the country. A lot of hunters want to be on the cover of Big Bucks Magazine and have their trophies mounted on their living room wall, while others simply enjoy the meat and the satisfaction of knowing they put it on the table. Whether you’re a hunter who is on the lookout for a monster buck, or one who is just concerned with filling the freezer with some fresh venison, Advanced Power Inc. can help.

One of the first things observant people notice when scouting areas is that the tracks seem to be much heavier and dense around a quality water source, but why? The answer is simple. Just like most other animals, deer need fresh water to survive and live a healthy life.

Depending on the season, whitetail deer need about 3 quarts of fresh water per 100 lbs. of body weight per day. This isn’t a huge amount, but if they can’t find it where they are when they need it, then just like most animals they will move to an area that provides this basic resource that is so crucial to their survival.

The amount of water on a property isn’t the only thing to consider. The water has to be constant as well. Imagine the years it takes for a fawn to grow into the beautiful beast that so many hunters are searching for. Now imagine that the fawn is aging into a gorgeous buck, but one year your property suffers from a drought. Now that your ponds are dry and your vegetation is scarce, the buck is forced to move onto another hunter’s land, and inevitably into another hunter’s freezer.

By adding Advanced Power Inc.’s state of the art solar powered water pumps to your hunting honey hole, you can increase your chances of finding your next wall mount. Research shows that whitetail deer prefer to stay within one square mile of a permanent water source. By creating water sources and keeping them filled with good fresh water, deer behavior can be altered and changed for your benefit. Keep your deer herd healthy and staying on your property longer by providing them with fresh drinking water.

Tom Indrebo had the innovative idea that by adding little ponds all around his property, he could manipulate the whitetail. His thoughts were if he had these water sources all over, they would act as a magnet to big bucks during unusually warm fall days. Many hunters have followed his methods and have used solar powered water pumps to do so.

Not far from Indrebo, the “Illinois’ Trophy Triangle” is an area that covers 10 counties that are smashed in-between the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers. This hunting haven has been known to produce twice as many Boone and Crockett bucks when compared to the states 92 other counties. It is long believed that the reason is the high water density in the forage caused by the good, fresh water of the moving rivers is what lures these monster bucks in.

With the help of the knowledgeable people at Advanced Power Inc., you can create your own type of “Illinois Trophy Triangle” and gain similar benefits with a quality solar powered water pumping system. Contact one of our system specialists for a free no hassle quote; and let us help you improve the health of your deer herd, and keep the big boys hanging around your property by pumping fresh groundwater to them.

Watch a video about our systems and how easy they are to install.

http://solarpumpguy.blogspot.com/2015/05/why-solar-water-pumps-are-great-fit-for.html

Thursday, October 1, 2015

http://solarpumpguy.blogspot.com/2015/05/why-solar-water-pumps-are-great-fit-for.html

Click the link for a quick one minute video on a couple of Advanced Power Inc. solar powered water pump systems that ran over ten years before needing maintenance on the pumps. Happy customer indeed.

https://youtu.be/KbqV1tvCdqI

A solar powered water pump system ran all day every day for over 10 years before the pump needed serviced. That's pretty impressive. This customer actually had 2 that did that. They were shallow wells so the pumps weren't having to work as hard as they do on deep wells. How deep to water the system is as well as how much power you put to it can affect pump longevity. The more solar power you place on the unit the faster the pump runs and this can shorten pump life a little but you get more water everyday. It's tsar trade off of sorts. If the pump is lifting water from great depths with lots of solar it's working harder and can expect to need serviced sooner. These are great solar water pump systems. Some of the most reliable and economical on the market. Get yours today at

Monday, May 25, 2015

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.

Advanced Power Inc. Solar Powered Water Well Pumping System

Above a solar powered well pump system replaces a worn out windmill for producing fresh water from wells for cattle.

Watch a video about our systems and how easy they are to install.

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Saturday, May 9, 2015

Solar Well Pump Install with 1000 Watts of Power and a Deep Well High Flow Helical Rotor Pump from Solarpumps.com

View a video of Advanced Power Inc. employees assisting a rancher with installing a helical rotor solar pump in his well for filling a pond for wildlife use. The well the solar pump is being installed in is approximately 130 feet deep with water standing withing 80 feet of the top of the ground. This system will use 1,000 watts of solar power and should produce 12-13 gallons per minute in bright sunlight.

The rancher used a 1" pvc pipline to run the water from the newly drilled 5" well around the pond dam and down into the pond. This solar well pump application should produce around 8-9 thousand gallons per day in bright summer sunlight hours.

This Rancher also chose to clear several cedar trees in the pond area to take advantage of all the water the solar pump will provide. Cedars are known to rob lots of water, up to 50 gallons per day each. Removing all you can from a desired water storage location is beneficial in a pond or earth tank scenario.

For nearly 30 years the people of Advanced Power Inc. have been known for manufacturing and producing some of the best solar water pumps and water pumping systems in the industry. We are happy to keep that tradition alive.

If you have a need for pumping water in a remote location please give us a call and see what one of our solar powered water pumping systems can do for you. You'll love our friendly people and our great prices.

You can view a video of a smaller pump install here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKhYf8989oM

http://solarpumpguy.blogspot.com/2015/05/view-video-of-advanced-power-inc.html

www.solarpumps.com

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Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Large Solar Powered Well Helical Rotor Pump Installed on a Ranch West of Vici OK for Wildlife Watering.

Monday May 4th, 2015 Advanced Power employees embarked on a mission to assist a rancher in Western OK install one of our large deep well/ high flow helical rotor solar pumps. This particular application was a new well that had been drilled to provide water to an old pond location to help put fresh water in the area for wildlife. There are an abundance of deer, turkey and quail in the area and this solar powered pump system will provide them fresh drinking water.

We had traveled out and viewed the site a few days before and went ahead and dug the hole for the solar panel mounting pole and set it in concrete so it could have a few days to set up and get solid before we placed the load (solar modules) on it. This is a fairly good sized solar array at 1,000 watts and we wanted to be sure the pole had plenty of time to set up. Pictured is the 4 1/2" pole and the 5" well casing for the new well they just had drilled.

The Pole for the Array and the New Well

The rancher trenched a line from the new well around the end of the pond damn so that he could bury the 1" pvc line that would be used to carry the water from the well to the pond area. Since freezing weather can be a problem in OK like it can in many parts of the US it's important to bury the line to prevent freezing. As this was part of the process we installed a pitless adapter down below frost level in the well casing so there would not need to be any pipes exposed to the freezing elements during winter time use. You can see the pitless adapter pictured below. We drilled a hole in the side of the casing to do the pitless install.

The Below Ground Pitless Adapter to Combat Freezing Weather

We unloaded the large solar array and then prepared to lift it up onto the pole.

The Solar Array Preparing to Set on Pole

We had already placed the

pump pipe and fittings on the solar powered pump at the shop as well as taped the pump electric cable to the pipe ever 8-10 feet or so before heading out to the location. In the picture below we are attaching the safety rope to the pump.

The Large Helical Rotor Pump

We ran the electrical pump cable from the well to the solar panels in conduit to provide extra protection to the wire and to make a neater and cleaner installation.

Running Conduit for Electrical Wire

Once the solar array was placed on the pole and adjustments were made to set proper tilt angle and direction (face modules to the south) then mounting angle adjustment bolts were tightened to hold the alignment.

Tightening Set Bolts for Solar Panel Angel

This solar powered water pump system is wired with a simple high volt on/off switch. The black box.

On/Off Switch

Note the additional wind brace located near the switch. It's bolted to the panel mount then attached to the pole for additional support and to hold the solar panels in place during extreme winds.

K1000H 1000 watt solar array for solar water pump installed.

A simple neat and clean installation of a high powered solar water pumping system. This system should produce roughly 8-9 thousand gallons per day from 100 feet of lift pumping approximately 12 gallons per minute. It would have only required about half as much power to produce that much water in bright sunlight but when you up-size the solar power you get much better solar pump performance earlier in the morning and late evening and in other lower light situations. You can bring the solar pump to full flow quicker and hold full flow longer the more solar power you have. Even the the solar pump has a limit to it's maximum gallon per minute output, you can achieve more gallons per day by increasing your pumping time with more solar power.

We at Advanced Power Inc. are excited to have another satisfied customer. We have been assisting people with their water pumping needs for nearly 30 years.

Video of the install coming soon!

View the video at the link below.

View a video of a smaller pump system installation here:

http://solarpumpguy.blogspot.com/2015/05/why-solar-water-pumps-are-great-fit-for.html