Short answerSmall DC brushless pumps are the usual choice up to a few hundred watts: efficient, low voltage, and they run straight from panels. Above roughly 1 hp, or to reuse a standard AC pump, a solar pump inverter drives an AC motor directly from a high-voltage array, or a battery and inverter runs it like grid power.
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Key takeaways
- DC brushless pumps suit up to a few hundred watts, straight from panels.
- Solar pump inverters run standard AC pumps from high-voltage arrays with no battery.
- An existing AC pump can stay on a battery and inverter sized for its surge.
Three ways to do it
| DC solar pump | AC pump + solar pump inverter | AC pump + battery + inverter | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical size | Up to a few hundred watts; some to about 1.5 kW | About 1 hp and up | Any size the inverter can start |
| Array voltage | 12V to about 100V class | Hundreds of volts DC | Battery voltage, 24V or 48V |
| Battery | Optional | No: runs with the sun | Yes |
| Speed | Varies with sunlight | Varies with sunlight (variable frequency) | Full speed when on |
| Strength | Efficient at low power; simple | Uses standard, repairable AC pumps | Water on demand at pressure |
| Weakness | Proprietary parts; limited flow | High-voltage DC needs care and code work | Battery and inverter cost; surge sizing |
DC brushless pumps
Most small solar well pumps, including the three VEVOR models we list, are DC. A permanent-magnet brushless motor is efficient at the low and varying power a few panels give, and its controller can soft-start the pump and track the array's best operating point. The trade-off is that parts and controllers are usually specific to the maker.
VEVOR 12V DC 120W submersible deep well pump
Low-volume wells: a cabin, a garden or a few head of stock. The deepest submersion rating of the three.
- Voltage
- 12V DC (12 to 14.8V)
- Rated power
- 120 W
- Max flow (zero head)
- 3.2 gpm
- Max head (zero flow)
- 230 ft
- Max submersion
- 98.4 ft
- Outlet
- 1/2 in
- In the box
- Pump only: no panel, controller or pipe
VEVOR 24V DC 277W submersible deep well pump
Stock water and small irrigation where the water level is within about 100 ft.
- Voltage
- 24 to 42V DC (36V rated)
- Rated power
- 277 W
- Max flow (zero head)
- 9.25 gpm
- Rated point
- 5.28 gpm at 84 ft
- Max head (zero flow)
- 272 ft
- Max submersion
- 65.6 ft
- Outlet / cable
- 1 in / 33 ft
- In the box
- Pump only
VEVOR 48V DC 369W submersible deep well pump
Deeper lifts at modest flow. Wants two 36V-class panels in series to reach its voltage.
- Voltage
- 48 to 82V DC (72V rated)
- Rated power
- 369 W
- Max flow (zero head)
- 8.4 gpm
- Rated point
- 1.77 gpm at 167 ft
- Max head (zero flow)
- 273 ft
- Max submersion
- 65.6 ft
- Outlet / cable
- 1 in / 33 ft
- In the box
- Pump only
We have not tested these products; specifications are the merchant's own. Affiliate disclosure.
AC pumps on a solar pump inverter
A solar pump inverter, sometimes sold as a solar VFD, converts a high-voltage panel string to variable-frequency AC and drives a standard three-phase or single-phase pump motor. As sunlight rises the frequency rises and the pump speeds up. It needs no battery and uses ordinary well pumps, so it suits larger irrigation and stock systems. High-voltage DC strings are hazardous and must be installed to NEC Article 690 by someone qualified.
AC pumps on batteries
If a house already has an off-grid battery bank and inverter, the existing AC well pump can stay. The inverter must be sized for the motor's starting surge, and the battery for the pump's daily energy on top of everything else. See running an AC well pump on solar.
Questions
- Is a DC or AC solar pump better?
- For small stock tanks, gardens and cabins, DC is usually better: efficient at low power and simple to wire. For large flows, or to reuse a standard AC pump, an AC pump on a solar pump inverter or a battery system is often the better value.
Three DC well pumps side by side on the merchant's own figures, plus panels, controllers and batteries.