People are also forced to get their energy from unclean, toxic fuels that harm the environment and community members. Farmers need to rely on labour-intensive ropes and buckets or expensive diesel or petrol-based water pumping systems to irrigate their crops.

Approximately three billion people worldwide rely on fuelwood for domestic energy. Charcoal that’s made from fuelwood powers their water pumps. The problems with fuelwood are scarcity and women and children (the ones primarily responsible for collecting the wood) having to walk further to collect the timber required for fuelwood.

Solar-powered water pumps have many benefits. They are:

Economical to operate.

The cost of PV (photovoltaic) panels has dropped significantly, bringing down the initial set-up cost from years ago. Operating expenses are lower than other systems because the sun rather than fuel provides the energy. The long-term savings of fuel cost overshadows the initial investment needed to set up the solar-powered water pump.

Eco-friendly

Sunshine is renewable energy. Renewable energy comes from sources that nature will replace. Some contend that solar energy is not renewable because of greenhouse gas emitted during the solar panel manufacturing process.

While that does happen, there is no emission of toxins after that during solar energy production. For that reason, solar-powered water pumps are considered clean energy sources.

Useful in remote areas

Since the sun provides the energy, an external power source isn’t necessary, which means a solar-powered water pump will work in remote places and areas without access to a power grid.

Easy to maintain

Solar-powered water pumps have very few mechanical parts, which lessens the chances of components needing repairs. They can last for many years without requiring maintenance.

Easy to install

Engineers aren’t required to assemble or install solar-powered water pumps. They have few components and can be installed easily by local people.

Increasing productivity

Water collection is gruelling for those in developing countries. It can require walking for several hours in each direction. Solar-powered water pumps save time from not having to collect water, improving health, and making time for other productive activities.

Farmers can produce more food when they aren’t dependent on rainfall or electricity.

Reliable

Solar-powered water pumps provide a reliable water source because it doesn’t require electricity.