Experiences with SPV water pumping systems for rural applications in India

Sponsored by the Department of Non-conventional Energy Sources, Government of India, and conducted by the Tata Energy Research Institute, New Delhi, this study discusses field experiences with solar photovoltaic (SPV) water pumping systems donated to India by the French author Dominique Lapierre. The project, initiated in October 1988, was undertaken to study the performance of these systems in different Indian conditions and their suitability for chosen end-use applications. The scope of the study included installing these systems in sites selected on the basis of end-use water requirement and technical compatibility with the system, and monitoring their field performance. These systems were considered only for rural water supply applications as they were not considered suitable for community irrigation on account of their limited capacity.