Commodore Independent Energy Systems in Australia assessed how much solar pumps can save customers compared to diesel or grid-connected pumps. Pumps have long been a major part of Commodore’s business. Marketing manager Matt Miller told PV Magazine Australia the company ships 10-15 pumps weekly.
Recently, Commodore analyzed the cost savings for customers (mainly farmers) in choosing solar pumps over diesel, petrol or grid-connected ones. They found at the largest scale, savings of AUD 44,837 (USD 33,550) annually. But few farms need pumps that big, so savings won’t be that dramatic. Still, Commodore found a mid-sized solar pump saves AUD 1,793 yearly – equalling 2.77 years of basic running costs for a diesel pump. Compared to grid power, customers save AUD 1,404, covering 3.54 years of operational costs.
Miller notes these figures exclude travel costs for diesel and maintenance, which can be substantial.
“[Solar pumps] are a renewable technology…and a cost-effective energy source,” Miller says, noting they’re often underestimated.
That said, most farmers or customers don’t expect solar pump performance to match diesel anywhere. Solar pumps only run in daylight, but Miller says they still perform well in shaded areas and cloudy weather. The ground-mounted solar panels powering the pumps can also be installed high up. In a recent job, panels were 300 meters from the pump, connected by cable.
Batteries can also be installed for on-demand use, though Miller says only about 10% of Commodore’s solar pump installs include batteries.
While pumps are most commonly used by farmers for irrigation, Commodore has installed them on humanitarian projects in remote Papua New Guinea villages to provide water access. Compared to diesel pumps, solar pumps require far less maintenance and no fuel, making them better suited for developing and remote communities. In the past six months, remote app access and monitoring has also started being integrated into solar pumps, allowing customers to stop and start pumps and irrigation from their phones.
