Performance study of a solar photovoltaic water pump used for irrigation at Jaipur in Rajasthan, India

This paper presents the performance of a solar photovoltaic water pumping system for irrigation that is installed at Madarpura (Jhotwada) of Jaipur District in Rajasthan. A comparison between the practical (field) performance data of working solar photovoltaic water pump and PVsyst software analysis of that pump has been carried out. The aim of comparison between actual working pump and simulated pump using PVsyst is to assess the performance of solar water pump in comparison to an ideal PVsyst simulated solar water pump. Working hours of pump, energy generated by photovoltaic array, and the total volume of water output during nine months are considered for performance analysis. According to practical data of the site, total volume of water pumped in nine months is 8,562.14 m3 and average monthly volume of water is 951.348 m3. PVsyst software predicts the total volume of water pumped in nine months is 16,412 m3 and average monthly volume of water pumped is 1,823.55 m3. Efficiency of the pump according to practical data is 34.33% and according to PVsyst software is 55%. Volume of water pumped per kWh of electric energy is 2.24 m3/kWh according to practical data and simulation on PVsyst software results in 3.56 m3/kWh.