NOV Mono launches solar-powered pump

NOV Mono's solar powered submersible pumping system.
NOV Mono's solar powered submersible pumping system.

The new SUN-BUDDY™ is a solar powered submersible pumping system that has been designed to combine performance, long life and minimal maintenance requirements.

Managing water movement on a small rural property can be a challenging task, with water that has to be drawn from rivers, bores, tanks and stock dams for small-scale crop irrigation, stock watering, garden watering and general household use. The Mono Sun-Buddy uses advanced technology that was previously only available to large-scale agricultural operations, and offers a versatile variable flow capability which is suited to a wide range of different applications.

30-years' experience

The result of Mono’s 30 years of solar-powered pump experience, the company claims that its Sun-Buddy is a genuine, easy to install ‘plug and play’ solution. Its minimal maintenance requirements can be handled onsite, making the Sun Buddy  a set-and-forget solution which delivers high-quality and cost-effective performance.

Driven by solar energy, this small but efficient pump requires no diesel, grid power, wind or batteries to run. This environmentally-friendly method enables the operator to quickly recover the initial cost by eliminating all future fuel and electricity bills.

“TheSun-Buddy  offers many benefits for operators using it on hobby farms and other small-scale rural properties,” says Mono’s Agricultural Industry Manager, Nick McNamara. “It uses a progressing cavity action with a helical rotor element which allows it to deliver maximum output, even if the water contains silt or iron oxides. A variable speed control allows the flow to be regulated to suit different conditions such as low yield bores, while a low speed operation capability provides extended rotor and stator life.”

Harsh conditions

Designed to operate in harsh conditions, the Sun-Buddy incorporates a robust, brushless, submersible DC motor. This delivers high torque, high efficiency performance and features thermal overload protection that ensures long life and reliable operation. A solar maximum power point tracker adjusts the voltage output of the 195 W solar array to maximize power generation and increase or decrease voltage to suit the demands being placed on the pump.