Since the launch of Solar Pump Solutions (SPS), Bryan Davis and Katie King have been very busy. The company designs and manufactures a range of solar-powered pumps that can drive water from watercourses and wells to drinking troughs and tanks.

SPS was the overall winner of the Enterprise Ireland innovation arena awards 2017 and also won first place in the young innovator category of the competition.

According to Bryan, feedback and sales have been very strong since the launch, with subsequent media attention and word of mouth driving sales.

Timing has helped sales too. Over the last three years, many farmers entering GLAS had to fence off their rivers and streams from cattle. The GLAS action would not accept drinking points either, which meant an alternative approach for sourcing water had to be found.

Farmers with outfarms were particularly affected because electricity might not be available to set up a bored well and a mains supply might not be available close by.

This pump takes water from a bored well and supplying water troughs for cattle in paddocks using solar energy. \ Philip Doyle

Original solution

The original solar pump, which has now been further improved, was mainly designed to work using water from streams and rivers. It could also be used in wells.

The solar pump unit was fixed to the ground beside the stream facing south (this can be bolted down to a concrete base or cattle slat if desired). Main components include photovoltaic (PV) solar panels, which Bryan says will operate year-round, a water pressure vessel, water pump, solar battery, suction pipe and a lockable galvanised steel container to hold everything securely inside.

The solar panel provides enough energy during the day to keep the large 12V battery charged to power the water pump, even in dull weather. Water is sucked in through the inlet pipe and pumped through the outlet pipe at high pressure.

The pump is automatically operated by a pressure switch, the same way as a mains electrical water pump. When the pressure in the vessel drops, ie when the troughs are no longer full, the pressure switch turns on the water pump.

The water pump runs until the maximum preset pressure is reached in the vessel. This allows numerous troughs to be supplied at one time.

This system caters for approximately 80 yearling cattle. It is ideal for outfarms and means farmers can divide their outfarms into paddocks and make better use of grass because they are no longer relying on one drinking point in a field.

Larger system

A larger system has been designed to cater for larger herds. This system can also be used in wells and is really useful where there is no electrical supply close to a river, stream or deep well.

The larger unit is capable of powering a 1.5hp submersible pump with the capacity to supply up to 24,000 litres/day. This system can operate with wells of up to 400ft in depth. It can pump water 2.5km in distance and up to 200ft above ground.

Katie and Bryan showed the Irish Farmers Journal a system they have installed in Co Tipperary. This farmer has a 50-acre block of land where he keeps 180 weanlings. It is split up into 10 paddock divisions.

Katie said until recently the farmer had to run a petrol generator to power a submersible pump to source 4,000l of water from a 110ft well on the farm every day. There was no mains electricity available to power this well. The farmer installed the larger 230v system.

“The SPS system arrived on site ready to use,” she explained. A submersible pump was lowered into the existing well and the steel unit with three solar panels, with a fold-out design, was placed beside the well to power the 1hp pump.

The new system supplies high-pressure water for the cattle now, with no need for the generator. The farmer is very happy with his new water system, as it frees up his time, takes less effort and has reduced costs.

Cost

All systems come with a 12-month warranty, according to Bryan, and are delivered to site ready to use.

An SPS-35, capable of supplying water for 50 adult cattle, costs €1,595 excluding VAT. A larger SPS-70 costs €1,995 excluding VAT, which can cater for up to 100 cattle.

An SPS-250 costs €4,500 to €5,500 excluding VAT, depending on the type of pump used which is subject to the depth of the well. This system can cater for up to 150 dairy cows or 350 adult cattle.

The variation in prices of the systems is dependent on the size of the batteries, the size of the pump and number of solar panels needed.

Additions such as GSM remote control and monitoring of the systems are also now available.

“Batteries and pumps have a usable life of six to eight years and solar panels have a design life of 25 years,” said Bryan. He said the larger units can also run a mains electric fencer of up to 10 output joules.