what will I need for a 220v 1 hp pump

[rons57]

I run a 220v submersible pump in my well and would like to power it by solar,and then later run my house , can't afford everything now. but I don't want to buy something that I would have to throw away later, probable Will be going for a 4k system later. I don't know if this makes any sense ,I'm a newbie.

[Mike90250]

Solar PV power can not compete in price/watt with grid.


If you want to invest $2K in a new DC pump and 200W of panels to power it, that is another option. It won't pump at night, and daytime it will pump something like 2GPM, for 6 hours plenty for a house storage tank, but not a pressure tank.

A 220V , 1 hp pump is about 750w in ideal conditions. In real life, it's going to need about 850W because of internal losses. There is also a large starting surge to account for too.
To run this from solar, I would recommend a Xantrex XW6048 inverter. It outputs 240VAC, 60A on each leg. This should be enough to start any home-style well pump. You will need a 400A, 48V battery bank to run it, and depending on how much water you consume, you could get by at first, with only a few panels, and then add from there as needed.
Other inverters need a transformer, or 2 inverters to produce 240VAC

Food for thought.
Mike

[Sunking]

I agree with Mike if you have commercial power now it would be very unwise to even consider off-grid solar stand alone battery systems. You will end up paying 10 to 30 times more for electricity for the next 30 years. Your great grandchildren will still be trying to pay for it long after your gone. Grid tied is the only solar PV that remotely stands a chance of ever paying for itself. Even if you do it the way Mike suggest is still extremely expensive and on cloudy days no water other than what is left in the tank from the previous day.

[rons57]

I appreciate the answers guys,that will help me decide what to do. Ron

[MarineLiner]

I appreciate the answers guys,
that will help me decide what to do. Ron

[Quad Dad]

So, you guys here estimate building your own off the grid battery system powered by solar panels will cost 10 to 30 times more for the electric output, for up to 30 years?? I think I believe this. It seems the cost factor is huge when thinking about building or getting a solar power system installed. Food for thought.

-Jim

[Mike90250]

(Update - my solar pump system)

Got the pump running, but my 1/2 HP pump is drawing about 900W according to the inverters internal meter !! That likely means I've got some power factor issues that I'll have to fine tune. Starting surge is rated at 35A ( @ 240V). My inverter seems to manage it fine so far.

[Sunking]

So, you guys here estimate building your own off the grid battery system powered by solar panels will cost 10 to 30 times more for the electric output, for up to 30 years??

No out to infinity, there is no pay back for off-grid solar unless you have really unusual circumstances like being a hermit who only burns a couple of LED lights a couple of hours at night.

Let's say you live in Average America US with a 4 Sun Hour day, use an average 30 Kwh per day, and pay an average of 11.2 cents per Kwh. So your monthly bill is $0.112 x 30 Kwh/day x 30.5 days = $102.48 per month, $1229.76 per year, or $6148.80 for 5 years.

OK to replace that with a solar battery system you need:
11,250 watt solar panel array at $3 per watt = $33,750
3-80 Amp MPPT 48 volt charge controllers @ $660 per unit = $1980
225 Kwh battery capacity $130 per Kwh = $29,250
10 Kw industrial grade True Sine Wave Inverter = $12,000
Total Equipment cost = $76980

OK that does not include any material, electrical hardware, labor, shipping, permits and inspection fees, notta nothing just the bare equipment.

Now th enext really fun part is those batteries have to be replaced in 5 years at even a higher cost, more EPA regulations and huge decommission cost to get rid of the old 6 tons worth of batteries. So for the first 5 years the solar system will generate 54,900 Kwh. That comes out to $76,980 / 54,900 Kwh = $1.40 per Kwh. that is 12.5 times more than buying it from the power company.

So is that a good deal or not?

FWIW, if you went with the battery system, not only would you not ever receive a return on your investment, you are doing more harm to the environment because your system will never generate more energy than it takes to manufacture and operate the system. Put another way it has a negative EROI.

[crxvfr]

Slow day at work today.

I found this, food for thought...

http://www.backwoodssolar.com/catalog/pumps.htm#DC%20SUBMERSIBLE%20WELL%20PUMP

linked from ...

http://www.backwoodssolar.com/catalog/pumps.htm

[peakbagger]

A lot of newer well pump installations use a variable speed drive to run the pump motor rather than an across the line start. Dependent upon how the pump is programmed, the starting current can be programmed to no more than the running current which takes a lot of short term load off your batteries and inverters.

[NeilTheCop]

I was looking at the diaphragm type pump for my well. Not overjoyed at the prospect of regular diaphragm replacement