Delta Pumps Green: Another Delta Success Story for Solar Pumping In India

Traditionally, a well, a rope and a bucket are all it takes for farm irrigation. The introduction of pumps has changed all this, as the mechanical approach saves significant time and labor in moving water from the source to the farm. Pumps are powered by electricity or diesel fuel. However, the supply of electricity and diesel fuel remains a problem today in many places around the world.

Farm irrigation is one of the most labor-intensive farming processes. In India, agriculture accounts for 17.4% of GDP by sector, and it is the occupation that more than half of the labor force is dedicated to. The lack of a electric power infrastructure, an unstable and insufficient electricity supply, and the surging price of diesel in the wake of petroleum shortages have made it less practical for using either electricity or diesel powered pumps for farm irrigation. This hinders India from the growth and modernization of its agriculture and suggests there is a tremendous waste of labor that might be saved.

With years of experience in energy management, Delta and an Indian system integrator together delivered an alternative water pumping solution powered by solar energy. Utilizing the adundance of sunlight in India, this solution integrated solar panels with inverters and AC motors, and was successfully adopted in the southern India region, such as Hyderabad and Chennai.

Conventionally, solar pumping transfers the direct current produced by solar panels to drive DC motors. With the sunlight intensity changing diurnally, this approach requires another Maximum Power Point Tracker (MMPT) function which applies proper resistance (load) in obtaining maximum power with the irradiation fluctuating. Batteries are also needed for storing power to feed the DC motors continuously.

Delta's solution saves the design of MMPT but still offers equivalent or even better efficiency. Adopting an AC motor drive with built-in programmable logic controller, such as the Delta VFD-E or VFD-C200 series, this solution can manage functions similar to MMPT through simple programming, and obtain the best power possible even when the radiation intensity constantly changes.

For Delta's solution, the AC motor drive converts the direct current produced by solar panels to alternating current which directly drives the AC motors in variable frequency. Compared to DC motors, using AC motors for variable frequency operation in the system provides better operation efficiency, flexibility in pump control, better heat tolerance, and energy savings.

With the price of solar panels dropping over the last couple of years, plus government subsidies for using solar power systems, solar power adoption will become more popular and available for all.

Delta's solar pumping solution offers high reliability and efficiency in a compact design and simple structure. Weighing both productivity and eco-friendliness, Delta's solution provides a practical alternative for energy-intensive farming in places where power infrastructure deployment is challenging. Delta is dedicated to providing innovative, clean and energy-efficient solutions for a better tomorrow