Sunday, 18 October 2015 10:00

German power for Kiwi solar water systems

Written by Rural News Group

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New Zealand solar water pump company Frizzell Agricultural Electronics just got a power injection by joining forces with German pump manufacturer Lorentz.

Frizzell first started designing solar powered watering systems five years ago. Sourcing components from various manufacturers overseas, he created customised systems for farmers to provide off the grid irrigation and stock water solutions.

"The association with Lorentz not only means that the company has a wider range of pumps but it also has access to the Lorentz German technical expertise," says Frizzell technical manager Nick Frizzell.

Frizzell says people were often surprised by the capabilities of solar powered water systems, with Frizzell supplying pumps that will fill one stock trough, through to systems that can power centre pivot irrigators or water to thousands of stock units. He says solar pump technology is constantly developing.

"As an example of the technology that is now available, Lorentz have just recently installed a fully solar powered pump system in Australia with centre pivots irrigating 80 hectares, pumping 90 cubic metres of water an hour."

While there has not been a system that big installed in New Zealand yet, Frizzell says with Lorentz on board Frizzell now have the technical backup to confidently install projects of this size.

Solar powered watering systems are growing in popularity as they become more cost effective. Frizzell says the cost of panels and controllers have come down making solar systems much more competitive against mains power supply systems.

"There has also been a massive increase in the range of solar pumps available, for instance we have small three phase full solar systems priced at less than $400 that can run a couple of sprinklers, or supply water to two or three stock troughs. Bigger systems can pump up to more than 100 meters head and water thousands of stock."

Frizzell says it's not only farmers who have become interested in solar powered water systems, but a wide range of other users, including landscape gardeners for large water features, fountains and garden ponds and community projects to pump sewage.

Frizzell says that now with access to Lorentz expertise the company can pretty much design a cost competitive system for any water problem.

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