Agricultural solar supports specific processes: pumping, irrigation, refrigeration, storage or product handling. Consumption may be concentrated in a few months. A sound design combines electrical demand with the requirements of the production process.
Pump nameplate kW is not enough
Record motor data, starting method, operating hours, hydraulic duty and permitted operating variation. A pump should not be restricted simply to match an inverter. Electrical design must support the required flow and head as well as starting power.
Seasonality and irrigation schedules
Where pumping can safely move to daylight, direct solar use may improve. That decision depends on crop and hydraulic requirements. Do not shift irrigation arbitrarily if it affects the crop, pressure or water availability.
In a hypothetical example, a pump averaging 5 kW for four hours needs 20 kWh. Starting demand and simultaneous loads are separate checks. This does not demonstrate that a 5 kW array will supply the pump on every day.
Grid, off-grid and storage options
| Situation | Main design check |
|---|---|
| Grid supply with daytime use | Self-consumption and connection conditions |
| Remote installation | Off-grid design and reserve supply |
| Produce refrigeration | Continuous demand and acceptable interruption |
| Night pumping | Energy requirement and storage cost |
Refrigeration may continue after pumping stops. Treating these loads as one daily total conceals continuity requirements and can understate storage needs. Identify processes whose interruption could cause product loss.
Information for assessment
Provide seasonal bills, pump nameplates, operating schedules, supply location and available installation space. Support-programme eligibility must be checked separately against current rules; it is not assumed in the energy model.
Explore off-grid PV, commercial solar and our published projects for technical references. No farm customer or borehole installation is attributed to a project without public evidence. If an agricultural case study becomes available, its operating data and publication permission should be verified before adding it.
From irrigation schedule to design
For each pump, record flow, head, electrical power, starting method and monthly operating hours. Two pumps with similar annual consumption may have very different peak power or running schedules. Also check whether irrigation can move into sunny hours without harming crops or water management.
If cold storage is present, record it as a separate, often continuous load. The same PV configuration will not automatically suit both pumping and cooling. A technical assessment should show which demand each proposed option is intended to serve.
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