Examine Solar Panels and Control Box
At 2:33 in
How a solar well works on a farm...off grid water!
What happens here
The presenter walks around the main solar well system. It consists of eight solar panels, each rated at 190 watts (36 volts, 5.28 amps), which are part of the Lorenz Solar kit. A blue Lorenz control box is shown, which can be connected via Bluetooth to a tablet or smartphone using the 'Pump Scanner' app. This app allows monitoring of data such as energy savings, water consumption by livestock, current flow rate (e.g., 4.4 gallons per minute at 29 PSI), sunlight irradiation (e.g., 1010), voltage (e.g., 175V), and current (e.g., 0.60 amps from panels, 2.2 amps for motor). A lightning protection device and a main shut-off switch are also integrated into the system. The well, pump, and pressure tank are housed under an insulated rock cover. Beneath the ground, approximately one mile of 1.25-inch poly pipe distributes water across the farm.
Goal: Understand the components and functionality of the solar panel and control system
Tools and materials
- Insulated Rock — Covering and protecting the well, pump, and pressure tank
- Lightning Protection Device — Protecting the system from electrical surges due to lightning
- Lorenz Control Box Lorenz — Controlling the solar pump and monitoring system data
- Main Shut-off Switch — Manually turning off power to the pump system
- Poly Pipe — Distributing water underground across the farm
- Pump Scanner App Lorenz Solar — Monitoring real-time data from the Lorenz control box
- Solar Panels Sun Solar — Converting sunlight into electrical energy
- Tablet/Smartphone Samsung — Running the 'Pump Scanner' app for system monitoring