A review of solar-powered water pumping systems

Diesel-powered pumps are widely employed in farming and grassland irrigation. However, there can be problems of reliability and availability where fuel supply is erratic and expensive, high maintenance cost, and short life expectancy. These and recent concerns for the environment associated with the diesel engines call for a viable alternative source of power for irrigational water pumping. Renewable energy sources have gained a lot of attention as a replacement for fossil fuels or as a supplement in hybrid systems. Solar-powered (photovoltaic) systems are one of the viable alternatives that have attracted considerable attention in this regard. They have been deployed in many remote regions for various applications, ranging from rural electrification and community water supplies to irrigation and livestock water supplies. Although photovoltaic (PV) systems generally have a high investment cost, it has many features which make it attractive as an alternative source of power for water pumping. It is clean, as it produces no carbon emission, it generates no noise, and it has low operational and maintenance cost. This manuscript presents a detailed intensive review of solar-powered water pumping systems as reported in the literature to serve as a quick reference to researchers and engineers who are working or interested in the subject.