Solar Irrigation Pump System in Bangladesh

Last updated: 7 October 2026

A solar irrigation pump system in Bangladesh draws water from a tube well, canal or pond for crops using electricity from a PV array, with no diesel fuel and no grid connection needed. It runs during daylight, so it is sized from crop water demand and pumping head, and is often paired with a storage tank.

Part of our Solar Systems in Bangladesh.

Irrigation is essential to farming in Bangladesh, especially for dry-season crops such as Boro rice, wheat, maize and vegetables. For decades much of that water has been lifted by diesel pumps, which bring fuel costs, fuel transport and frequent engine servicing. Where grid electricity is unavailable or unreliable at the field, solar pumping offers an alternative that uses the strong sunshine of the dry season, exactly when irrigation demand is highest.

Veritas Technologies Ltd designs and supplies solar irrigation and solar water pumping systems, drawing on our pump and motor supply and installation work and our solar system engineering. We size the array, controller and pump together from the real hydraulic conditions of each site.

What Is a Solar Irrigation Pump System?

A solar irrigation pump system is a stand-alone water pumping plant powered by photovoltaic modules. In its usual form it has no batteries: the pump runs whenever the sun provides enough power, and its speed and flow rise and fall with the light. Water is delivered straight into field channels or buried pipes, or into a tank or pond that supplies the fields later.

Because there is no fuel and no grid connection, these systems suit remote fields, char lands and areas where diesel supply is costly or uncertain. They can also be used for drinking water supply, fish farming, livestock and nurseries.

What Are the Main Components?

• PV array: modules certified to IEC 61215 and IEC 61730, sized to deliver the required power through the pumping season.
• Mounting structure: a fixed ground frame, raised and fenced to protect against flooding, animals and theft, or a structure on a pump-house roof.
• Pump controller: a solar pump inverter or variable frequency drive (VFD) for AC pumps, or a dedicated DC controller, with maximum power point tracking and protection against dry running, over-voltage and overload.
• Pump: an AC or DC submersible pump for tube wells, or a surface pump for ponds, canals and rivers.
• Water level sensors and float switches to stop the pump when the well runs low or the tank is full.
• Pipework, valves and a flow meter.
• Storage: an overhead or ground-level tank, or a lined pond, where water is needed outside sunlight hours.
• Earthing and lightning protection for the array and controller in open fields.

How Is a Solar Irrigation Pump Sized?

Sizing starts with water, not watts. The design works back from the crops to the pump and then to the solar array.

Crop water need and command area

The command area is the land the pump will irrigate. For each crop the daily water requirement depends on the crop type, growth stage, soil, rainfall and losses in channels. Boro rice under flooded conditions needs far more water than vegetables under furrow or drip irrigation. Multiplying the peak-period requirement by the command area, and allowing for conveyance losses, gives the daily volume the system must deliver in the worst month.

Total dynamic head

Total dynamic head (TDH) is the height the pump must effectively lift water. It combines the depth to the pumping water level in the well (including drawdown while pumping), the height to the discharge point or tank, and friction losses in pipes and fittings. Pump power rises with both flow and head, so an accurate TDH is essential. Seasonal drops in groundwater level must be included, because the dry season is when the pump works hardest.

From hydraulic demand to array size

With the daily volume and TDH known, a pump is chosen whose performance curve delivers that flow at that head efficiently. The controller is matched to the pump motor, and the PV array is sized from the pump's power demand and the expected daily solar energy at the site in the critical month, with allowances for temperature, dust and cable losses.

Which Water Sources Can Be Used?

• Shallow tube wells, where the water table is near the surface; often served by a surface or shallow submersible pump.
• Deep tube wells, where water must be lifted from greater depth and a submersible pump is installed in the well. Our deep tube well service covers drilling and well construction.
• Surface water from rivers, canals, khals, ponds and beels, usually with a surface pump and a screened intake.

Groundwater availability and quality vary across Bangladesh, and some areas face falling water tables in the dry season. The well yield and seasonal levels should be confirmed before the pump is sized.

How Does Daytime-Only Operation Affect the Design?

A solar pump delivers most of its water between mid-morning and mid-afternoon. Farmers used to running a diesel pump on demand need to plan irrigation around this window. Where water is needed early in the morning or in the evening, a storage tank or pond collects the day's output for later release by gravity. Storing water is far cheaper and longer-lasting than storing electricity in batteries, which is why battery banks are rarely justified for irrigation.

Cloudy monsoon days reduce output, but they usually coincide with rainfall and lower irrigation need. The design check is therefore the dry-season month with the highest crop demand and the lowest water table.

Solar Pump vs Diesel Pump vs Grid Electric Pump

How Is a Solar Irrigation Pump Installed? Step-by-Step

1. Site visit: command area, crops, water source, access and land for the array.
2. Water source assessment: well depth, static and pumping water levels and yield, or surface water levels.
3. Calculation of daily water need and total dynamic head for the critical month.
4. Selection of pump, controller and PV array, with a performance estimate.
5. Design of the mounting structure, fencing, earthing and pipework.
6. Installation of the pump, controller, array and sensors.
7. Testing of flow and head against the design, and checks of protection functions.
8. Training of the operator or farmer group, and handover with documents.

What Do You Receive?

• Sizing report showing water demand, head, pump selection and array size.
• Equipment data sheets and warranty documents.
• Layout of the array, pump house, pipework and storage.
• Commissioning record of flow, head and electrical tests.
• Simple operating instructions and a maintenance checklist.

How Should a Solar Pump Be Maintained?

Solar pumps need little routine work, but what they need matters. Clean the modules regularly, especially in the dusty dry season. Keep vegetation and shadows away from the array. Check the controller display or monitoring for fault codes. Inspect cable joints, earthing and fencing after storms. For submersible pumps, watch for falling flow, which can indicate a dropping water level, a worn impeller or a clogged screen, and have the well and pump inspected before the motor is damaged by dry running.

Government and Development Support for Solar Irrigation

Government agencies and development programmes have supported solar irrigation in Bangladesh, including schemes financed through the Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL). Many of these projects use a fee-for-service model, in which a sponsor owns the pump and farmers pay for the water they use. Terms and availability change, so anyone planning a project should confirm current programmes directly with the relevant agency. Veritas can provide the engineering design and equipment for privately funded systems or as part of a wider project.

Frequently Asked Questions