Ideas & Innovation
mitigates this problem with a more
sustainable flowrate of around 30 L per
hour in full sunshine. As the energy
supply is free, the pump can be used all
day at this lower rate. This allows the
water source to recharge and
encourages better resource
management. The lower flow rate also
aids efficient water application as,
unlike a petrol pump, it is compatible
with drip irrigation and sprinklers
which are known to be twice, if not
Joshua Okundi demonstrating his solar pump
three times, more efficient at getting
manual irrigating and reducing this
value enabling asset; smallholder
water to the crop than traditional flood
burden increases time available for
farmers who would have previously
or furrow irrigation.
other domestic duties and study.
been unable to irrigate are able to
The SF1 solar pump has no fuel costs,
Farmer, Joshua Okundi, explains that
become business men and women with
is robust and requires little
he uses the income from his farm to
productive farms – a solar pump can be
maintenance. It is also autonomous,
pay school fees for his children which
life changing.
allowing users to productively work on
can be as much as 150,000 KES a
Irrigation for small-scale applications.
their farm whilst simultaneously
year.
With the recent reduction in the cost of
irrigating. Each of these increases
It has widely been reported that
PV modules, solar irrigation is fast
income, reduces monetary outgoings
'smallholders can feed the world'
becoming cost-effective. Solar pumps
and increases time available to those
(IFAD, 2011), but only if they have
are available that can move the larger
usually irrigating. It is often women
access to suitable technologies and
volumes of water needed for irrigation.
and children who undertake the task of
opportunities. The solar pump is a