Preparation Before Installation of Photovoltaic Water Pumping Systems

Careful preparation before new PVWPS’ installation is vital in order to maximise chances of successful operation, both immediate and long term. This chapter describes the types of information needed before developers set foot in a village and explains how to obtain them. At this stage, information is drawn mostly from secondary sources and typically covers facts about geographical location and remoteness as well as natural resources. Next, population surveys and household questionnaires should be drawn up; and the latter’s design are discussed. Thereafter the authors use existing data to demonstrate how to pre-size a PVWPS and apply resulting values to generate a first cost estimate of such system. Finally, some of the challenges associated with funding PVWPS for poor off-grid regions are covered.