Design and Evaluation of Solar Powered Water Pumping Systems Across the African Continent

Solar Powered Water Pumping (SPWP) systems provide a promising alternative to diesel or grid-powered pumps for delivering potable water in small or remote communities across Africa. However, existing SPWP designs often rely on a limited geographic scope or simplified assumptions about user demand. A simulation framework captures hourly variations in solar irradiance and diurnal water consumption, while a loss of power supply probability (LPSP) metric quantifies system reliability. Results demonstrate significant regional differences in optimal system sizing and life-cycle costs, with multi-year data revealing potential under-sizing or over-sizing if only a single year is considered. Additionally, accounting for diurnal demand shows higher storage needs compared to constant-demand assumptions. Moreover, cost comparisons against diesel-based systems highlight many areas where solar pumping is more economical over a 20-year lifespan. Overall, the research highlights the importance of location-specific, multi-year analyses and realistic demand patterns.