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Solar powered pumps

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[[Image:SolarPump.jpg|thumb|right|250px| Solar pumping system. <br>Photo: UNICEF.]]

The climate in many countries in the developing world is suitable for solar pumping. Solar energy is a valid option for small-scale water pumping in rural areas where the demand is regular, such as for drinking water, but it may also be used for irrigation. Applications of solar systems are growing at steady rate.

Photovoltaics (PV) is a technology that converts sunlight directly into electricity. It was discovered in 1839 by the French scientist Antoine Henri Becquerel. About 50 years ago, the space programmes provided an incentive for the development of crystalline silicon solar cells. The production of PV modules began.

With the global drive to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, PV technology is increasingly used as a mainstream form of electricity generation. Many thousands of systems are presently in use and the vast potential for PV as an energy source has not yet been utilized.

PV modules provide an independent, reliable electrical power source at the point of use, making them particularly suited to remote locations. PV systems are technically viable and with more commercial applications the technology is developing fast and prices are coming down, making PV more and more economically feasible for rural water supplies.

==Suitable conditions ==

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