Comments on: Irrigating Fields With Sunshine, The Sunflower Pump Is An Insipired Low-Cost Alternative To Diesel Pumps

By: Bob_Wallace

Bob_Wallace — Wed, 27 Nov 2013 07:31:00 +0000

It can be done. Grundfos sells a pump that can pump from as deep as 820 feet/250 meters. And it can be run direct from solar panels or a wind turbine as well as the usual grid/battery-inverter ways.

1350 watts. Less than $1,000 worth of panels.

By: Diego Matter

Diego Matter — Wed, 27 Nov 2013 06:59:00 +0000

What would be needed to pump water from a depth of 80 meters? Is that doable with the sun?

By: Amber Pump & Water

Amber Pump & Water — Thu, 07 Nov 2013 21:30:00 +0000

Enjoy your article very much it’s great learn something new every
day.

By: Wayne Williamson

Wayne Williamson — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 20:17:00 +0000

Cool…just wondering where the condenser is located. Does it use air or the pumped water…
Kind of reminds me of the windmills I used to see out west that filled tanks for the cattle to drink from.

By: mk1313

mk1313 — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 18:09:00 +0000

Love to see the steam engine design.

By: JamesWimberley

JamesWimberley — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 01:48:00 +0000

What usually goes wrong with such iniatiatives is that they are First World solutions to Third World problems. I´d feel happier if this was launched by Grameen. Still, Futurepump have obviously made an effort to KISS – there´s no apparent automatic tracking mechanism, presumably this will be done by a small boy out of the picture. The other big plus is that the cost is low enough not to depend on charity, just the market, perhaps with a helping hand from microfinance.

By: jburt56

jburt56 — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 00:02:00 +0000

Plus it provides a form of energy storage–each liter of water raised 1 meter and stored in a tank stores 9.8 joules.