Is Solar right for you....
So are Solar water garden product right for you...
Three quick questions to help with your decision of Solar powered pumps verses Electrical (Mains) power
Solar powered products are a fantastic option for hard to reach places where electrical options are not practicable or cost effective.
In saying this they do have limitations...
These can be overcome
When purchasing solar powered pumps you need to be sure that you fully informed of what they can and cannot do and we will try to outline the pros and cons for you...
OPTIONS TO CONSIDER...
FIRST
Do you require the pump to run 24hrs a day 7 days a week
If so, a SOLAR PUMP needs sunlight to work
Solar is amazing when there is sunlight...
Battery back-up options are available but these are "Back up" only.
The systems work predominently on recharging the Battery once the power storage has depleted, so additional maintenance is required.
For re-charge the batteries will require a battery charging system to connect to mains voltage or via the solar panel.
The pump and ancillary products using the battery will need to be turned off to re-charge the battery to full via the solar panel
SECOND
You are limited by the sun...
If you are happy for the pump to only work during sunlight hours and with fluctuation due to cloud cover or not to work if overcast then a Solar panel and pump set up is for you. As detailed above, you can add a "Back up Battery" to extend use after daylight hours.
Energy fluctuates with the intensity on the sunlight energy available to the solar panel.
For use in water features, solar pumps are an acceptable solution.
Be sure to always buy a pump that will offer a Maximum Head Height at least 1 & 1/2 times more than you need to pump.
For example: If your water feature is 1 metre from the pump to the top of the water feature outlet, then you will need a pump with a Maximum head height of 1.7 - 2 metres to allow for energy fluctuations with clouds and low light.
New Technology
Do you need a constant flow for water reticulation or a filtration system?
With new options and technology solar water garden products can provide the standard options that mains voltage powered products can offer.
The trade-off is additional maintenance due to energy production.
For constant flow you need access to energy to power the pumps. Mains voltage has this access covered with power generation.
Solar pumps has fluctuations in power dependant on sunlight hours and cloud cover. This is alleviated by back up battery power options. These are getting bigger and more compatible with technology so filtration and lighting can be added.
Maintenance is required with making sure the Battery is constantly checked for energy supply.
Bigger is best in this case...
