| The recent dramatic increases in the price of oil | | | | pumps or extend the grid, bringing water to cattle |
| have hit almost everyone. Gas and diesel are | | | | instead of bringing cattle to the water offers |
| vastly more expensive, and that in turn causes | | | | substantial watershed and riparian zone |
| the price of electricity to rise as well. With oil | | | | management benefits (cleaner water, reduced |
| being a finite, non-renewable resource, increased | | | | erosion, etc.). And portable solar water pumps |
| use of renewable forms of energy such as wind, | | | | facilitate rotational grazing and temporary pasture. |
| geothermal, hydro and solar is once again a hot | | | | Solar force is also an attractive option to bring |
| topic. I say "once again" because we were there | | | | water to remote homes, cabins or campgrounds. |
| in the 1970s but didn't learn our lesson. As soon | | | | It even makes sense to employ solar drip |
| as oil prices came down, so did our resolve to use | | | | irrigation and pumping for gardens and homes. |
| and pursue more sustainable energy sources. No | | | | The technology to do all that has been around for |
| one argues the benefits of solar power, but | | | | decades. It's mature and efficient, and there are a |
| putting it to use generally required complicated | | | | number of government programs and utility |
| connections to the utility grid. That's becoming | | | | incentives to use it. There is an initial investment, |
| more common, but there's another way to use | | | | of course, but given the increasingly unpredictable |
| solar that makes a whole lot of sense, and that is | | | | cost of non-renewable energy that's no longer the |
| solar water pumping. | | | | obstacle it once was. And the more expensive |
| Let's think about this for a moment. The huge | | | | energy gets, the quicker solar water pumps pay |
| advantage of solar power is that it is free and | | | | for themselves. |
| inexhaustible. The disadvantage is that it's only | | | | A number of well established and highly reputable |
| available when the sun shines. Theoretically you | | | | companies like Grundfos SQF, SunCentric, Solaram |
| could use solar power to charge giant batteries so | | | | and Solar Force offer a variety of pumps |
| that electric energy would be available whenever | | | | (submersible, surface, solar slowpump, etc.), pump |
| you need it, but that is not practical. But how | | | | controllers and, of course, solar panels. A |
| about putting solar to use in areas where it | | | | complete solar pumping system requires |
| doesn't matter when the work gets done, just | | | | meticulous planning, proper sizing and expert |
| that it does get done? Pumping water is one such | | | | installation, but the resulting benefits are well |
| area. Once water is pumped from one place to | | | | worth it. |
| another, it's available for use. It generally doesn't | | | | The bad news is that our current problems with |
| matter when it is pumped. | | | | oil will likely not go away. The good news is that |
| Solar water pumping is becoming quite interesting | | | | we have a number of alternatives, and solar |
| to farmers who are facing increasing costs | | | | energy is one of them. Solar water pumping |
| running diesel pumps to provide livestock with | | | | makes a lot of sense and it is fairly easy to |
| water as well as water for irrigation. On top of | | | | implement. |
| the cost savings from not having to run diesel | | | | |