55 / 92
FOCUS
Special
Natural resources and energy
Product information
53
November 2015
Solar system to benefit producers
A
grico has installed its very first complete solar pumping
system at Mr Boeta Steenkamp’s farm, Doornlaagte, out-
side of Kimberley. This system demonstrates the benefits
of using solar powered, submersible water pumps manu-
factured by India-based pump supplier, Shakti Pumps.
The 9,3 kW system consists of the Shakti SSP3000-50-25 pump,
motor and inverter. The inverter is equipped with frequency con-
trol, soft starter and manual selection for grid or solar. The system
is able to deliver 60 000 l/h. Water is pumped over a distance of
2,5 km from where irrigation is done by means of a centre pivot.
The solar array consists of many solar modules connected in series
and parallel, absorbing sunlight radiation and converting it into
electrical energy, powering the pump and providing water for the
whole system.
The inverter controls and adjusts the system’s operation while con-
verting the DC Power produced by the solar array into AC Power. The
output frequency is also adjusted in real time according to the varia-
tion of sunlight intensity to optimise the performance of the pumping
system. This is called maximum power point tracking (MPPT).
In this installation the pump driven by a three phase AC motor can
pump the water from the borehole into a reservoir for storage or can
be connected directly to the irrigation system.
Applications
Irrigation systems.
Industrial applications.
Tank filling.
Livestock drinking water.
Rural water supply.
Features
High flow system for significant water output.
Proven motor and pump technology.
Clean and pollution free energy.
Ideal for remote areas.
Six to eight hours of continuous supply.
MPPT for maximising the efficiency of output power.
Soft start prevents water hammer and increases system life.
Simple installation.
The system includes
Shakti electric submersible motor.
Shakti submersible pump.
Solar panels and mounting structure.
Solar drive controller.
Variety of flow rates available.
IVAN DU PLOOY,
marketing manager: Irrigation, Agrico
1: An Agrico centre pivot irrigating with water supplied by Shakti
solar pumps in Kimberley.
2: A Shakti solar pump installation in Kimberley.
3: A Shakti solar pump system installed by Agrico.
1
2
3