SunCulture SP-300 Solar Pumping System

Product Description

SunCulture’s SP-300 Solar Pumping System is designed to pull water from any water source (lake, river, stream, well, borehole, water harvester, etc.) using solar power. The solar panels provide the pump’s electricity directly without the need for batteries or inverters. Water is pumped into a raised water storage tank during the day. Farmers can either purchase this pump separately or as a package with SunCulture’s Drip Irrigation Kit. This product has been discontinued and was replaced by SunCulture’s RainMaker 2 in 2019.

Target Users (Target Impact Group)

Distributors / Implementing Organizations

SunCulture

Manufacturing/Building Method

Components are sourced directly from manufacturers in the U.S., Asia, and Europe. SunCulture will assemble the system for an additional cost.

Intellectural Property Type

Other

User Provision Model

Users can obtain this product directly from SunCulture. SunCulture offers a free quote to farmers who submit their information online, and also have a technician available to visit customer sites that require consultation for a customized system. SunCulture partners with Equity Bank to provide financing options to farmers who cannot to pay for the system upfront.

Distributions to Date Status

SunCulture has over 650 customers in East Africa.^{Interview with representative}

Design Specifications

The Solar pump system includes the following a DC submersible solar pump with controller and float switch, solar panels, a 12 ft security stand for the panels, an electrical cable, and an HDPE pipe.

Technical Support

SunCulture provides training and after-sales support upon request.

Replacement Components

An entire after sales process is dedicated to supporting customers with needed replacement parts, as well as system repairs if necessary.^{Interview with representative}

Lifecycle

This product has a 1 year warranty.

Manufacturer Specified Performance Parameters

The manufacturer specifies their system can pump 12,500 L of water per day.

Vetted Performance Status

Unknown

Safety

No known safety hazards are related to this product.

Complementary Technical Systems

The system is capable of being used together with SunCulture's Drip Irrigation Kit.

Academic Research and References

Merrey, D. J. and Langan, S., 2014, Review Paper on ‘Garden Kits’ in Africa: Lessons Learned and the Potential of Improved Water Management, IWMI Working Paper No. 162.

Michaelowa, A., Köhler, M., Friedmann, V., Tkacik, J., and Dransfeld, B., 2016, IMPAQT Case Study.

Compliance with regulations

Unknown

Other Information

This product has been discontinued and was replaced by SunCulture's RainMaker 2 in 2019.

Comments from the Community

1 Comment

Anna Murray says:

March 24, 2017 at 4:23 am

The statement “Water is produced to WHO guidelines” is a tough claim to make. WHO drinking water guidelines are MANY and this treatment system has surely not been tested for meeting every drinking water guideline for every parameter (which would also depend on influent water quality). I think what they meant by this is that the treated water meets microbiological guidelines of <1 CFU/100 mL.

I would suggest moving or modifying this comment/claim.