Solar collectors sprouting up in Florida citrus groves

December 1995

U.S. Water News Online

BOCA RATON, Fla. -- With flow rates exceeding 300 gallons per
minute per horsepower, what is being billed as the first "high flow"
solar-powered pumping system in the world is being marketed to Florida citrus
growers. The solar pumps, which draw power from deep-cycle gel cell batteries,
promise to provide improved water distribution for irrigating citrus groves
that arelocated far from a central pump station.

Trade-marked under the name "Agri-Cel," the high-flow
pumps feature compactsolar arrays of up to 150 square feet specifically
matched withlow-maintenance axial pumps, according to the manufacturer,
GeoSolar Energy Systems, Inc., of Boca Raton. Standard units are available with
capacities ranging from 300 to 1,000 gallons per minute, and photo voltaic
modules are used to generate electricity from the sun. Since Agri-Cel pumping
systems are pollution free and silent, they meet all current and future standards
for environmental safety, claims GeoSolar Energy Systems.

Besides irrigation applications in citrus groves, the solar pumps
are being marketed for drainage uses as well as sewage treatment.

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