Off-Grid Solar for Farms: Powering Agriculture with Felicity Solar

Farms and agricultural operations in the Middle East and Africa are natural candidates for off-grid solar. They are often far from the grid, have significant daytime energy needs (pumping, processing), and occupy large areas perfect for solar panel placement.

Common Farm Power Needs

System Design for Small Farm (10-20 kWh/day)

• Inverter: Felicity IVPS 8kVA (48V) — handles pump starting surges
• Solar panels: 12x 550W = 6,600W
• Batteries: 48V 400Ah LiFePO4 (19.2 kWh) — 2 days autonomy
• Charge controller: Built into IVPS (80A) + external 60A MPPT for additional panels

System Design for Large Farm (40-80 kWh/day)

• Inverters: 2x Felicity IVPS 10kVA in parallel (20kVA total)
• Solar panels: 30x 550W = 16,500W
• Batteries: 48V 800Ah LiFePO4 (38.4 kWh)
• Backup: 15kVA diesel generator via IVPS generator input

Water Pumping Strategies

Direct Solar Pumping

For daytime-only irrigation, connect a solar pump controller directly to panels. No batteries needed — the pump runs when the sun shines. Most cost-effective for irrigation.

Battery-Backed Pumping

For flexible scheduling (early morning, evening watering), use the Felicity IVPS system with battery storage. The pump can run any time, and batteries charge during the day.

Cold Storage

Produce storage and dairy cooling are critical for farm profitability. A 2-door commercial refrigerator draws about 500-800W and runs 12-16 hours daily (6-12 kWh). Walk-in cold rooms need 2,000-5,000W. Size the solar system to fully charge batteries by midday, so the cold room runs on battery power through the evening and night.

Return on Investment

A typical farm spending $500-$1,500 per month on diesel for generators and pumps can replace this with a $10,000-$20,000 solar system. Payback period: 12-24 months. Over 15 years, solar saves $70,000-$250,000 in fuel costs alone.