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Thread: Solar well questions

  1. #1
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    Default Solar well questions

    My wife and I recently bought some land and we will have a well drilled soon. I want it to be solar. I see some kits on line but not sure how good they are. I don't want to break the bank but I don't want junk either. If some one could give me some advice I'd be atful. TIA MIKE P.S. The well will probably be 150'.
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    Super Moderator crashdive123's Avatar
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    It's not just the solar panels. You'll need to design the entire system. What kind of loads? AC or DC pumps? He's not on here too often, but if you send a PM to tjwilhelm he can help you. He's a pretty big deal in the renewable energy field.
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    DC pump. I know it's not just panels. I also have seen other set ups, I just not sure what brands I should avoid. A simple set up can be done needing only the pump, solar panels, a regulator, a on/off switch, and a storage tank. P.S. I have lived off grid before but I did not have a well and it's been 17 years.
    Last edited by backtobasics; 06-05-2016 at 04:49 PM.
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    Senior Member hunter63's Avatar
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    This is just an FYI....but is comments on a 12v/24v DC Farm and Ranch pump......

    Read the reviews.....
    http://www.amazon.com/Ranch-Submersi.../dp/B00UMPQ2IM

    Looks like better pump......5 times the money....
    http://www.amazon.com/SHURflo-Submer...XG7QRHM03BQHTJ
    Last edited by hunter63; 06-05-2016 at 05:40 PM.
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  5. #5
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    Thanks for the link Hunter63. That first pump is one that I had seen. I do not want that one for sure.
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    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    TJ will give you the straight scoop. He knows his stuff.

  7. #7
    Senior Member hunter63's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rick View Post
    TJ will give you the straight scoop. He knows his stuff.
    Rodger that....much more economical to do it right it the first time, and by the looks of the cheaper pump that was reviewed, was just a waste of money.

    On thing I didn't see in the Shurflo pumps spec's was total lift.....for a well 150 ft.
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    Hi All,

    This thread is interesting and is what i am searching for.

  9. #9
    Senior Member hunter63's Avatar
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    Hunter63 saying Hey and Welcome....
    There is an intro section to say hello at :
    http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...-Introductions
    Geezer Squad....Charter Member #1
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  10. #10
    Senior Member tjwilhelm's Avatar
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    Howdy...just a few quick points...

    Well-depth is only critical in needing to know how deep you can set the pump. To size your pump, however, you really need to know how far the water level is below grade. Specifically, you need two numbers from your well-driller/contractor: The static water level (where is the water when the pump is not running, and has not been run for a bit of time); and, static pumping rate and level (referred to as drawdown).

    There's a fairly fixed rate at which water will flow into your well from the surrounding solid matrix of rock, etc. If you pump water out at a rate faster than this, the water level will continue to go down, down, down, until you reach the pump and start sucking air...not good. Thus, you need to find a pumping rate that will bring the water level down, but it will reach a new static pumping level (drawdown), at which point it will hold steady, no matter how long the pump runs. This distance down, plus whatever height you are pumping to, plus whatever pressure you are pumping against, plus the fiction losses of the piping and fittings, is called the total dynamic head...suction head, plus discharge head, plus friction head = TDH.

    These numbers will enable you to select a proper pump and predict its performance. In turn, this will inform your electrical load analysis, necessary to size your solar-PV system.

    Since you've lived off-grid, you already know that higher PV voltage is better -- lower current, smaller wiring, smaller overcurrent protection, smaller switchgear, etc.

    Caution on PV modules...years ago, when PV was in its infancy here in the U.S., PV modules were designed and built specifically for charging lead-acid batteries...36 solar-cells, in series, per module. Now, with the most common application of PV being utility-interactive systems (grid-tied), the available modules are now made with 72 cells, 90 cells, etc. It's becoming very difficult to find larger, power-size modules built with the old standard 36 cells. This means our old, standard, nominal voltages (12VDC, 24VDC, 48VDC) are becoming less relevant, unless you are going to incorporate batteries into the system. To deal with this voltage issue, you can now get battery charge controllers that will handle high VDC input and electronically shift it down for charging our old, standard batteries.

    Similarly, there is also a pump available that will accept a very large range of voltages, and either DC or AC, and will electronically modify the input to properly operate the pump. See: http://us.grundfos.com/products/find...ct/sqflex.html . Grundfos makes a pump that will accept any electrical input, from 30 - 300 VDC and 90 - 240 VAC.

    Also, the guru of solar water pumping is an old guy named Windy Dankoff. Check out his site: http://www.dankoffsolarpumps.com/

    Hope that helps!
    Last edited by tjwilhelm; 09-06-2016 at 02:48 PM.

  11. #11
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    There is a solar forum at pumpandtanks dot com.

    Rancher

  12. #12

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    Hey Hunter63, thanks will head over to the intro section.

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