Effect of irradiance data on the optimal sizing of photovoltaic water pumping systems

Photovoltaic water pumping systems (PVWPS) are an interesting solution to improve water access in off-grid areas. Irradiance being the main input of PVWPS models, the source (local sensor or satellite database) and temporal resolution of irradiance data strongly influence the accuracy of PVWPS models and the optimal sizing obtained from these models. We show that we can use satellite data instead of data from a local sensor and a temporal resolution of 1 hour without significantly changing the model accuracy and optimization results. These results can allow to intensify the implementation of PVWPS in off-grid areas.