Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Pond Boss Solar Powered well pump?

With the recent discussions of solar powered aeration systems, that got me thinking.

Is there a viable solar powered submersible well pump that could be used to keep a pond full? Say, pump at least 30 gpm with a 20' head. Either a 4" or 6" well casing. Strictly for pumping into the pond - no bladder tank, just an open ended pipe with a check valve in it.

If I wanted to keep this pond full, I'd probably be spending $1,200 or more per year just in electricity costs, hence the solar query.

Scott, I'm sure it could be done, but the capital cost to set up would be staggaring. I would think 30gpm at 20'head would need at least 1hp of power.

It depends on your definition of viable and how many corrupt politicians you can get to help pay for the solar equipment. I have heard that there are quite a few of those around.

If I was in Chicago or Dolton, it'd be easy. You'd be amazed at how much $$ gets exchanged under the table.

From researching for my off grid cabin, I have run across a few things. I see 1/2hp max mentioned pretty often, and that DC pumps are a lot more efficient but much slower than AC pumps. Sounds like you would need a pretty big solar array to power the kind of pump needed to get 30 gpm out of a well. One site does mention a solar pump setup with up to 25 gpm, but does not have the required pump listed or how much power it would need. 15 gpm sounds pretty feasible on this site with a Grundfos SQ pump, but still needs a pricey solar system.

Scott, you may find it is cheaper to stick with the grid. Most wind and solar still cost more to purchase, deliver, set up and maintain per KW than grid KW over the lifetime of the system. This gap has closed a lot lately, but is still fairly wide.

Thanks guys. I was hoping that the prices had come down in the last few years and the technology had leapfrogged to make this feasible.

I'll go talk to the local well driller and see what he says. I have the equipment to drill up to a 6" dia well 200' deep, so I basically will have equipment costs (pump, wiring and piping) to deal with, then energy costs once it's up and running.

Scott

I've been through all this at my place - call me with any questions I may be able to help with. I too wanted to go solar and the people I called and asked about running a 5 hp pump pretty much laughed at me. Guess the technology isn't there yet - but I sure wish it were.

My electricity was 4.50/ft and I had to run power out 2650 feet.

My KW cost ranges from $.07 - $.10

If I run my 5 HP Goulds pump 24/7 for one month the total electric bill was close to $400.

Thanks TJ. I think our electric costs are pretty close. My 1 hp well puts out 28 gpm. So, 2 hp or at the most 3hp should do it. From the meter to the well would be at the most 150', and there are 2 master disconnects on the "H" frame. 320V (that's what I was told anyway - to me that's a weird number for voltage, but what do I know?) is running to the meter.

You're looking at about half the energy use/cost than I have with pumps in that range...wouldn't you agree?

You already have a well, are you simply thinking about beefing the pump size to increase GPM? Maybe you already covered this, but I'm lost - are you digging a new well? If so, why? My well will service both my ponds and my future home/outbuildings with a pressure tank system. Am I way off base here?

Solar, wind, ethanol, and even methane from poop digesters are only viable when they are subsidized by the government (meaning our tax dollars).

When you see an 18-wheeler running on the interstate making a profit carrying a 20 ton load running on solar, wind, ethanol, methane, or magic-fuel, please call me in my future life.

You guys have discussed pie in the sky solar and wind energy, but you've overlooked perpetual motion energy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJJrjDI5xSQ

TJ:

I was thinking of sinking a 2nd well, dedicated just for the pond.

We've had some long power outages here recently, and I don't think my generator will start a much larger well pump if the refigerator, chest freezer and A/C are running.

Last power outage was for 22 hours and the temps were in the high 80's/low 90's with high humidity. Without opening the upright freezer/refigerator, the ice cubes in the freezer started to melt after 10 hours. I gave up trying to go without the generator and fired it up.

The current well is 3 years old and double screened. It supplies more than enough for the house, but it doesn't have near enough volume to keep the pond full without running it 24/7, and it can't gain significant headway in filling the pond in weather like this. I can run it wide open to the pond and the pond will only gain 1/2" per day. (Sandy soil) I figure I need at least double, but more than likely triple the flow to the pond if I want to keep the level up without having to run the pump 24/7.

Scott

Talk to my well guy here in NE - he can give you objective advice free.

Am I on the right track suggesting simply a more powerful pump than having to dig a new well? Seems a much cheaper option IMO - that pressure tank system should allow you to use it for both the home and pond. Sounds like you have plenty of water, you just need a bigger pump to increase the flow.

TJ:

You're right about the bigger pump. My driller said that this 4" casing on the house well would supply up to 100 gph if a different pump was dropped in the hole. But, I'm concerned that my little emergency generator might not have enough oomph to get it started - along with other appliances in the house. It's only a 3,550 watt model. (5,000 starting watts I believe) At the time I was looking for a larger model, but I couldn't pass up this one for the price. If I were to have a 2 well system, I could just keep the larger well shut off if there is a power outage and just have the genny run the 1 hp well pump for the house.

I believe the costs in dropping in a new well would be very close to the same as upgrading the current well. I own equipment that can drill up to a 6" well, 200' deep. The house well is 65' deep.

Let me throw another option out there for you scott. Consider a cheap 3/4hp shallow well/booster pump as a back up supply pump. You could hook it inline between the well and your house pressure tank, eiher directly inline of the plumbing or "tee'd" in with dual check valves to prevent backflow. Once these pumps are primed, they will draw from much deeper than the common 20'-25' ratings. Flow may suffer, but still be satisfactory.

That's an idea. The water was at 13' depth in the casing when I measured it, although the screen is 66' down.

I've researched powering my house and farm via a wind/solar hybrid system, and true it's not economically viable right now. But once the electric rate gets high enough (and it's getting there slowly but surely) it will be.

I looked at my electric rates over the past five years and I can assure you the rates keep going up as much as the government is allowing them to.

I know of a fish farm that uses a surface pump exclusively due to the shallowness of their static water level.