Evaluasi Performa Sistem Pemompaan Air Irigasi Berbasis Pembangkit Listrik Tenaga Surya

Abstract

Limited access to conventional electricity in agricultural areas has driven the adoption of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems as an alternative energy source for irrigation. However, the actual performance of small-scale PV-based pumping systems under different operating conditions particularly the comparison between battery-charging-while-pumping mode and battery-only mode remains insufficiently quantified in experimental literature. This study evaluates the performance of a small-scale PLTS irrigation pumping system prototype under two distinct operating conditions: Configuration 1 (Panel + Battery + Pump), in which two 100 Wp polycrystalline panels connected in parallel (total 200 Wp) actively charge the battery while the pump operates; and Configuration 2 (Battery + Pump only), in which the pump is powered solely by the battery without solar panel contribution. The prototype consists of a PWM 30 A solar charge controller, a VRLA 12 V/100 Ah battery, a 1000 W modified sine wave (MSW) inverter, and a Shimizu SP-116 BIT 0.25 HP AC submersible pump (Qmax 45 l/min, Hmax 34 m), connected via 42.6 m of PVC pipe to a 3,600-liter tank with a calibrated sight glass. Each configuration was tested for 69 minutes at 3-minute intervals, repeated three times (144 data points total). Results revealed that Configuration 2 outperformed Configuration 1 in hydraulic productivity despite lower initial power (451.7 W vs. 538.8 W): it produced greater total water volume (641.6 l vs. 620.5 l), higher initial flow rate (15.4 vs. 13.5 l/min), higher average pump efficiency (5.56% vs. 4.62%), and lower specific energy consumption (0.656 vs. 0.790 Wh/l). The SOC decline rate was nearly identical (1.087 vs. 1.079 %/min), indicating the 200 Wp panel compensates only 25–30% of pump power demand. These findings demonstrate that DC voltage stability rather than absolute power magnitude is the primary determinant of pump performance in small-scale MSW inverter-based PV systems.