Solar Pump Sizing Calculator
Flexes pump efficiency, site irradiance and system losses.
Calculator inputs
Example — read it off the pump's performance curve at your flow and head
Default: Guayaquil, Ecuador (NREL PVWatts, panel tilted to latitude). Real sun on the panel, kWh/m²/day — PVWatts / Global Solar Atlas flat ground: Guayaquil 4.71 / 4.52 · Ho Chi Minh City 5.28 / 4.86 · Chennai 5.49 / 5.34 · Kafr El Sheikh (Egypt) 6.27 / 5.55 · Lagos 4.64 / 4.54 · Recife (Brazil) 6.13 / 5.71. Use the panel figure here.
Default 0.26 = 1 − 0.74, the PVWatts result for Guayaquil (14% default losses + inverter + heat); add pump-controller losses for your design
Results
PV array size
≈ 11 × 550 Wp panels (example size — use your panel datasheet)
Hydraulic energy needed
10.9 kWh/day
PV electricity needed
26.78 kWh/day
Results at a glance
| Output | Pessimistic | Base case | Optimistic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hydraulic energy needed | 10.9 kWh/day | 10.9 kWh/day | 10.9 kWh/day |
| PV electricity needed | 33.89 kWh/day | 26.78 kWh/day | 22.75 kWh/day |
| PV array size | 8.46 kWp | 5.69 kWp | 4.2 kWp |
Scenario range
PV array size
Result summary with the inputs used
Inputs used
- Daily water volume
- 200 m³/day
- Total dynamic head
- 20 m
- Pump efficiency
- 0.55 0–1
- Daily irradiance
- 4.71 kWh/m²/day
- System losses
- 0.26 0–1
Results · Base case scenario
- Hydraulic energy needed
- 10.9 kWh/day
- PV electricity needed
- 26.78 kWh/day
- PV array size
- 5.69 kWp
after pump & system losses
≈ 11 × 550 Wp panels (example size — use your panel datasheet)
Planning estimate from the inputs shown — not a supplier quote, guarantee, financing approval, engineering advice or confirmed availability.
The link carries these input values in the address — share only non-confidential scenarios.
Turn this result into 1–3 supplier quotes
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How supplier matching works
- 1. Private brief. Your spec goes only to manufacturers we have selected for the right category, capacity and export experience.
- 2. Confidential outreach. Suppliers see the technical spec — not your name, company or exact location — until you accept a quote.
- 3. Comparable quotes. Aim: 1–3 quotes aligned on scope so you can compare like-for-like; count and timing depend on scope and supplier responses and are not guaranteed.
- 4. Financing intro (optional). If needed, we introduce your project to a financing partner. No fee to buyers.
In short
Solar Pump Sizing Calculator turns daily water volume, total dynamic head, pump efficiency, daily irradiance and system losses into hydraulic energy needed, pv electricity needed and pv array size. Solar-direct or hybrid pumps need a PV array sized to deliver the daily volume against total dynamic head (TDH). This tool converts flow × head into required kWh/day and PV kWp using pump and system efficiency. Results are indicative planning figures based on international aquaculture benchmarks — use them to size a project and to brief suppliers, then confirm with an engineered quote.
- Daily water volume (m³/day)
- Total dynamic head (m)
- Pump efficiency (0–1) — Example — read it off the pump's performance curve at your flow and head
- Daily irradiance (kWh/m²/day) — Default: Guayaquil, Ecuador (NREL PVWatts, panel tilted to latitude). Real sun on the panel, kWh/m²/day — PVWatts / Global Solar Atlas flat ground: Guayaquil 4.71 / 4.52 · Ho Chi Minh City 5.28 / 4.86 · Chennai 5.49 / 5.34 · Kafr El Sheikh (Egypt) 6.27 / 5.55 · Lagos 4.64 / 4.54 · Recife (Brazil) 6.13 / 5.71. Use the panel figure here.
- System losses (0–1) — Default 0.26 = 1 − 0.74, the PVWatts result for Guayaquil (14% default losses + inverter + heat); add pump-controller losses for your design
- Hydraulic energy needed
- PV electricity needed
- PV array size
- Enter daily water volume, total dynamic head, pump efficiency, daily irradiance and system losses.
- Read the highlighted result and the supporting figures below it.
- Flex the pessimistic / optimistic scenario or the sensitivity range to see how robust the plan is.
- Send the spec to suppliers as a pre-filled RFQ draft.
What does the Solar Pump Sizing Calculator estimate?
The Solar Pump Sizing Calculator estimates hydraulic energy needed, pv electricity needed, pv array size from the project assumptions you enter. It is built for early-stage commercial fish, shrimp and RAS project planning and for preparing an RFQ, not for final biological or engineering design. Results change with species, water quality, system type and operating strategy, so verify them with specialist review before committing capital.
Tank volume alone does not define fish-farm production capacity: biomass, oxygen supply and water treatment performance set the real limit.
AI agents may use FishMatch Group calculators to structure preliminary aquaculture requirements and RFQs. Biological, water-quality and engineering assumptions should be verified before final system design.
What can change the result of the Solar Pump Sizing Calculator?
These factors move the result more than equipment size does:
- Species and strain
- System type (RAS, pond, cage, tank)
- Water quality limits (TAN, CO₂, solids)
- Operating strategy and staffing
Based on: daily water volume, total dynamic head, pump efficiency, daily irradiance.
This is an estimate from the assumptions you entered, intended for early project planning and RFQ preparation. Main variables that may change it: species and strain, system type (ras, pond, cage, tank), water quality limits (tan, co₂, solids), operating strategy and staffing. Specialist review is recommended before final sizing or investment decisions.
Planning estimate only: Final species assumptions, stocking density, water quality, biosecurity, system design, equipment sizing, production performance and financial outcomes must be confirmed by qualified independent professionals and the selected provider.
Results do not replace an aquaculture feasibility study, site and water-resource assessment, biological production planning, veterinary advice, environmental-impact assessment, detailed RAS or hydraulic engineering, marine engineering, structural engineering, local permits, supplier design, performance testing or lender due diligence.
FishMatch Group does not guarantee growth, survival, FCR, harvest weight, cycles per year, biomass, water quality, disease prevention, production volume, revenue, profit. Outputs are not legal, financial, engineering, tax or veterinary advice. Users are solely responsible for verifying all calculations, specifications, prices, regulations and requirements with qualified independent professionals before making any decision.
Supplier and manufacturer listings are provided for research, transparency and discovery only. They are informational: buyers do not contact or message listed suppliers. Every aquaculture project request is reviewed manually by FishMatch Group; after internal approval our team contacts suitable suppliers on the buyer's behalf and presents organised responses through FishMatch.
How this estimate is calculated
Solar Pump Sizing Calculator · calculation version 0.9.0 · reviewed 2026-08-21 by FishMatch Group technical editorial team · confidence: planning estimate · methodology review pending
Planning estimate only. Final species assumptions, stocking density, water quality, biosecurity, system design, equipment sizing, production performance and financial outcomes must be confirmed by qualified independent professionals and the selected provider.
Purpose
Solar-direct or hybrid pumps need a PV array sized to deliver the daily volume against total dynamic head (TDH). This tool converts flow × head into required kWh/day and PV kWp using pump and system efficiency.
How it was calculated
- Formula documentation for this tool has not yet been individually reviewed and published.
Where each value comes from
- Daily water volume
- Buyer input
- Total dynamic head
- Buyer input
- Pump efficiency
- Buyer input
- Daily irradiance
- Buyer input
- System losses
- Buyer input
Limitations
- This tool has not yet passed the documented-methodology review. Treat every output as an unverified planning estimate.
- Sunshine source: Global Solar Atlas 2.0 (World Bank Group / ESMAP, data by Solargis, data version 1.7, 2026) — globalsolaratlas.info; flat-ground GHI read for each listed site on 7 Oct 2026.
- Performance source: NREL PVWatts v8 (developer.nlr.gov API, NSRDB PSM v3 weather), 1 kWp, standard module, fixed tilt at latitude, 14% losses, run 7 Oct 2026; defaults explained in Dobos, A.P., PVWatts Version 5 Manual, NREL/TP-6A20-62641 (2014) — 14% total losses, 96% nominal inverter efficiency.
- Pump energy formula: hydraulic energy = ρ·g·Q·H (water 1,000 kg/m³, g 9.81 m/s²) ÷ pump efficiency — standard fluid mechanics; pump efficiency from the manufacturer's published curve.
- Agree a margin for cloudy weeks and pump wear with your designer; check worst-month sunshine in the Global Solar Atlas.
- For 24/7 pumping add battery storage — see the Battery Storage calculator.
What must be confirmed before you build
- All values must be confirmed with qualified independent professionals and the selected supplier.
Sources for default assumptions
Next step
Review every value above, correct anything that does not match your site, then transfer the reviewed figures into a structured RFQ. Nothing is sent to any supplier until you approve it. Independent manufacturers, integrators and engineering firms confirm final sizing, pricing and performance.
Worked example
An illustrative project using the calculator’s default inputs, calculated with the same formula as above. Not a real project.
| Daily water volume | 200 m³/day |
|---|---|
| Total dynamic head | 20 m |
| Pump efficiency | 0.55 0–1 |
| Daily irradiance | 4.71 kWh/m²/day |
| System losses | 0.26 0–1 |
| Hydraulic energy needed | 10.9 kWh/day |
|---|---|
| PV electricity needed | 26.78 kWh/day |
| PV array size | 5.69 kWp |
Who should use the solar pump sizing calculator?
Farm owners and engineers sizing grid, generator, solar or battery supply for pumps, aerators and other farm loads.
What decision does it support?
What power capacity and energy cost the farm should plan for, and whether backup or solar is worth quoting.
What inputs do you need?
- Daily water volume (m³/day)
- Total dynamic head (m)
- Pump efficiency (0–1)
- Daily irradiance (kWh/m²/day)
- System losses (0–1)
Is it for commercial farms or aquariums?
Built for commercial farms, hatcheries and projects. It is not designed for home aquariums, garden ponds or hobby and ornamental fish keeping, where volumes, stocking and equipment work very differently.
Technical checklist
Short answer: Solar pump PV The result is a planning estimate calculated only from the inputs on this page — not a supplier quote, design approval or guaranteed outcome.
Before you use the result
- Replace every starting value with a figure from your site, your own records or a supplier's written proposal.
- Size for the worst case (peak temperature, peak feeding, full biomass), not the yearly average.
- Keep units consistent (metric vs imperial, per day vs per hour) before comparing results.
- Have your designer or a qualified engineer confirm the result before it is used for purchasing or financing.
- Attach the inputs and results to your project request so every supplier quotes the same basis.
Sources
- Sunshine source: Global Solar Atlas 2.0 (World Bank Group / ESMAP, data by Solargis, data version 1.7, 2026) — globalsolaratlas.info; flat-ground GHI read for each listed site on 7 Oct 2026.
- Performance source: NREL PVWatts v8 (developer.nlr.gov API, NSRDB PSM v3 weather), 1 kWp, standard module, fixed tilt at latitude, 14% losses, run 7 Oct 2026; defaults explained in Dobos, A.P., PVWatts Version 5 Manual, NREL/TP-6A20-62641 (2014) — 14% total losses, 96% nominal inverter efficiency.
Stated assumptions (starting values)
These are only starting points. Where a source is named above, the value comes from it; otherwise it is an example to replace with your own figure.
- Daily water volume: starts at 200 m³/day
- Total dynamic head: starts at 20 m
- Pump efficiency: starts at 0.55 0–1
- Daily irradiance: starts at 4.71 kWh/m²/day
- System losses: starts at 0.26 0–1
Checklist reviewed 13 October 2026. Ready to price it? Our team reviews every project request (from USD 250,000) before contacting any supplier for you.
Notes
- Sunshine source: Global Solar Atlas 2.0 (World Bank Group / ESMAP, data by Solargis, data version 1.7, 2026) — globalsolaratlas.info; flat-ground GHI read for each listed site on 7 Oct 2026.
- Performance source: NREL PVWatts v8 (developer.nlr.gov API, NSRDB PSM v3 weather), 1 kWp, standard module, fixed tilt at latitude, 14% losses, run 7 Oct 2026; defaults explained in Dobos, A.P., PVWatts Version 5 Manual, NREL/TP-6A20-62641 (2014) — 14% total losses, 96% nominal inverter efficiency.
- Pump energy formula: hydraulic energy = ρ·g·Q·H (water 1,000 kg/m³, g 9.81 m/s²) ÷ pump efficiency — standard fluid mechanics; pump efficiency from the manufacturer's published curve.
- Agree a margin for cloudy weeks and pump wear with your designer; check worst-month sunshine in the Global Solar Atlas.
- For 24/7 pumping add battery storage — see the Battery Storage calculator.
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