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Ranch & Rural Living, April, 2007
Solar Power Offers Economical Alternative for Pumping Water Wells
A GENEROUS SUPPLY of water is the life of the rural areas in Southwest United States where towns can be 100 miles apart and power lines are rare in rural areas. Rising costs of windmills installations, replacements and repair, as well as rising costs of having power lines built to remote areas means solar water pumping systems are among the most logical and economical choices for water production. Initial investment is usually small and there is no monthly bill regardless of the amount off water pumped. Most systems require no maintenance, can be connected with a float level switch to keep the reservoir full and can be powered by a generator or welder if for some reason the reservoir looses water by a broken trough float or pipeline. Some of the less expensive solar pumps have brushes and a diaphragm. These smaller pumps require some maintenance and can be pulled by hand, rebuilt, and reinstalled easily and economically. Ronnie Sauer of Eldorado, Texas, operates Southwest Texas Solar and regularly installs solar panels and down hole pumps. He worked 40 years at Southwest Texas Electric Cooperative serving in several capacities, most recently being the system engineer. Since 1997 most of his time was spent developing the solar energy department to allow customers an alternative to paying the rising cost of power lines to water pumps that required a significant investment and generated very little income to the Cooperative. Upon his retirement in January 2004, he purchased the solar business from the Cooperative and opened his office in the main Highway (US 277) downtown Eldorado. Ronnie has been marketing and installing solar pumps throughout the Southwest and has become the recognized authority and leading solar pump marketer with his seven years of experience in the business. He says it’s just a matter of time until solar panels will become a familiar sight on the West Texas landscape as they become the major source of power for remote water wells. Even the government is participating with a 10 percent federal income tax credit to promote the use of solar energy. New developments in the solar technology allow for much greater amounts of water to be produced using much less solar power than available in the past, Ronnie said. A modern solar pump can produce 10 gallons per minute at 100-foot static water level, 8.75 GPM from 200 feet depth, 6 GPM from 300 feet, and three GPM from 400’. In most cases, this will provide all the water the customer needs for his livestock or game management operation. The depth of the water and the amount of water required drive the price of the solar system. As the water gets deeper or greater production is desired, more solar panels are required to achieve these goals. To contact Ronnie, call 1-866-899-1200 or see his ad on page 6, this issue. |
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If you have any questions, please email or call Ronnie Sauer at Southwest Texas Solar. |
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Call: (866) 899-1200 |
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Southwest Texas Solar |
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Do you want to find out how a solar powered water well can benefit your situation?
Click here to fill out our Water Well Inquiry Form, describing your water needs and we will send you the specifics of a solar water system, including price and all components at no obligation! |
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Ranch & Rural Living, June, 2007
Solar Power Good Way to Pump Remote Wells
GOOD RANCH LAND can be a long way from electricity in this part of the world. Solar Powered water wells provide ranchers with the best way to get around that. About 100 years ago, developments in mechanical water well drilling brought more water - and ranchers - to arid parts off rural America. Windmills pumped the precious water that enabled man and animals to live in areas where it was impossible before. In the 1940s, rural electric cooperatives were formed and brought electrical power to these homes and ranches, bringing lights, refrigerators, air conditioning, and later, electrical submersible pumps to produce not only water but water pressure for washing machines, lawn sprinklers, and irrigation. Deregulation in the utility industry and minimal revenue from water wells forced power companies to require ranchers to pay the cost of extending power lines to isolated water well sites. This made electricity from power companies too expensive for these wells. A solution to this problem is available - electricity produced by energy from the sun. New innovations in solar power water pumps, as well as a 30 per cent federal income tax credit for solar energy, have made power produced from the sun the most economical and maintenance free method of producing water in areas without access to power lines. The new solar pumps can produce more generous amounts of water than their windmill ancestors and can also produce water from depths of 650 feet. With solar panels carrying a 25-year warranty and solar submersible pumps with a live expectancy of eight to 10 years, more and more of these systems will be seen throughout the Southwest, their gleaming blue panels putting the sun to work for ranchers. |
