Where To Buy Solor-Powered Pumps

Where To Buy Solor-Powered Pumps ENERGY Solar 34-4-42 The sun can move water for livestock, home or irrigation if you pick your system right. Kerry Kalarney, Sundance Solar Design, first got into the solar pump business when he needed to pump water at a remote location and found out how much it would cost to do it the traditional way. Today Kalarney uses solar energy for all water handling chores on his ranch. "Whether from a spring or well, the choice of pump and solar panels to run them is a matter of matching the system to the desired volume per day and the friction loss that needs to be overcome," says Kalarney. "There are pumps and panels that can be used at almost any site to provide long and reliable service without fuel and maintenance costs of gas or diesel pumps." Kalarney says a small solar system pumping 300 to 500 gal./day costs in the $2,500 range. Larger systems pumping 10,000 gal./day or more range from $15,000 on up. He recommends checking first with state and federal agencies for tax credits, grants and low interest loans available for alternative energy projects. The USDA and NRCS are only two of the agencies that have programs that help finance solar pumping systems. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Kerry Kalarney, Sundance Solar Designs, P.O. Box 750, Olathe, Colo. 81425 (ph toll free 888 786-3374; solar4u@starband.net; www.sundancesolardesigns.com). Following are several other companies offering solar solutions to water pumping needs: Robison Solar Systems range from 85 to 1,200 watts of power. They are capable of pumping a couple of gpm from 600-ft. wells or producing flows up to 80 gpm from shallow wells. Systems start at $1,650 (pump, panel, bracket and 100 ft. of wire included) and range to $12,000 or more. Kits are sized to the specific job required. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Mark Fuqua, Robison Solar Systems, P.O. Box 548, Canton, Okla. 73724 (ph toll free 866 519-7892; cell 580 623-3324; www.solarpumps.com). Solar Stream offers solar water pumps that need only 12 to 24 watts of photovoltaic modules to operate, are low in cost, and highly reliable. Units range from pumping a 30-ft. head and delivering up to 30 gal./hr. to pumping a 50-ft. head and delivering up to 40 gal./hr. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Solar Stream, P.O. Box 48, Temple, N.H. 03458 (ph 603 878-0066; info@solar-stream.com; www.solarstream.com). Solar Power & Pump offers 12, 24 and 48-V systems at prices from $2,200 to $10,000. Dennis Austin, Solar Power & Pump, says solar especially makes sense if the water source is 1/3 of a mile or more from power. "While initial costs compare to windmills, lifetime costs will be lower," he says. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Solar Power & Pump Company, 301 W. 12th St., Elk City, Okla. 73644 (ph 580 225-1704; toll free 866 246-7652; info@togosolar.com; www.togosolar.com). Sundog Solar specializes in mobile watering systems for rotational grazing. The All Season Portable Water System can be moved from grazing paddock to grazing paddock in a few minutes with only an ATV or towed down the road with a tractor or truck. The company also offers an array of solar, wind, water pumping and RV and cabin systems as well as grid-tie developments. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Sundog Solar & Agriculture Supplies, P.O. Box 1945, Sundre, Alta., Canada T0M 1X0 (ph 403 638-9711; Sundog@davincibb.net; www.sundogsolarwind.com). For do-it-yourself information on solar energy-powered water pumping - and other uses for solar power - visit the Build It Solar website (www.builditsolar.com).

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