Solar pump and tubewell calculator
Choose a pump size, or say how much water you need, and enter the depth. You get the panels the national specification requires and the minimum water the pump should give.
Your solar pump
Suggested pump
5 HP submersible
| Pump | 5 HP submersible, AC motor |
|---|---|
| Minimum panel capacity4.80 kW, from the MNRE specification | 4,800 W |
| Minimum water a day35 litres per watt at a 30 m head, on the specification's test day | 1,68,000 litres |
| Ground or roof area for the panels | About 480 sq ft |
- The water figure is the specification's minimum on a clear day with 7.15 kWh/m² of sunshine and the panels turned three times a day to follow the sun. A fixed structure, haze or a winter day gives less.
Get it sized on site
Send us the bore depth, the water level in summer, the pipe size and your current pump. We size the pump and panels for your field.
A first estimate from the national specification. The bore, the water level through the year and the pipe run decide the final choice.
Example: a 5 HP AC submersible pump at a 30 metre head. Enter your own figures above.
How it works it out
Every water and panel figure comes from MNRE's specification for solar water pumping systems, the standard pumps under government schemes are built and tested to.
- The panels: the minimum capacity the specification sets for your pump size and type. Submersible pumps from 1 to 10 HP need 1,200 W, 1,800 W, 3,000 W, 4,800 W, 6,750 W, 9,000 W; surface pumps need 900 W, 1,800 W, 2,700 W, 4,800 W, 6,750 W, 9,000 W.
- The water: panel watts times the litres per watt the specification requires at your head. Between the heads it lists, the tool uses the next deeper one, so it never overstates. A DC pump at 30 metres must give 38 litres per watt; an AC pump 35.
- From water needed: the smallest pump in the table whose minimum output meets it at your head.
- The area: 100 sq ft per kW of panels, the planning figure the rest of the site uses.
- Diesel: only the figures you enter. Nothing is assumed about your engine or the price.
The specification's water figures are minimums on its test day: clear sky, 7.15 kWh/m² of sunshine on the panels, and panels turned three times a day. Real output varies with the season, the weather and the structure.
Sources
- Specification for Solar Photovoltaic Water Pumping Systems (MNRE), Annexure-A to SECI RfS , checked 4 October 2026
Questions we are asked
How many solar panels does a 5 HP pump need?
The national specification sets at least 4,800 W of panels for a 5 HP pump, surface or submersible. With 550 W panels that is about nine panels. More panels than the minimum are allowed and give more water on dull days.
What is total dynamic head?
The height the pump has to lift the water, in metres. Add the depth to the water level while the pump is running, the height you lift it above the ground, and an allowance for the pipe. The deeper the water, the less a given set of panels can deliver.
Surface or submersible: which do I need?
A surface pump sits at the top and draws water up by suction, which only works while the water level is shallow. A submersible pump goes down the bore and pushes the water up, so it is the usual choice for tubewells in Punjab, where water levels are deep.
Will a solar pump give the same water every day?
No. The water figure here is the specification's minimum on a clear day with 7.15 kWh/m² of sunshine and panels turned three times a day. A fixed structure, cloud, haze and short winter days all give less.
Is there a subsidy for solar pumps in Punjab?
PM-KUSUM Component B supports standalone solar pumps, run in Punjab through PEDA. The subsidy share and whether applications are open change from one round to the next, so check the current terms before you budget.