The photovoltaic pumping system represents a sustainable solution to provide access to
potable water in remote communities of the Amazon region, whether for human consumption
or agricultural irrigation, in areas with limitations in electrical supply from the local utility
company. A central component of this system is the motor pump, responsible for suctioning the
fluid and conveying it through a piping system to the desired destination and is often associated
with a power conditioning device. This device acts as a converter from direct current to
alternating current and may incorporate a mechanism for tracking the maximum power point
of the photovoltaic generator. However, in photovoltaic systems, it is common for the motor
pump to operate at frequencies below the nominal, resulting in lower efficiency compared to
situations where energy supply is constant from the local electrical grid. Therefore, this study
proposes an approach based on theoretical equations of the system components, aiming to
predict an optimized operating point for the pump, considering factors affecting the
performance of the photovoltaic generator, such as solar irradiance and temperature. To achieve
this, the laboratory of the Study and Development of Alternative Energy Group has a test bench
for simulating manometric heights. This was employed in this study to compare the
performance of three photovoltaic pumping systems with simulations conducted in a MATLAB
program, developed in a doctoral thesis defended in the Graduate Program in Electrical
Engineering at the Federal University of Pará. The results highlighted the effectiveness of the
methodology in identifying an optimal efficiency point for these systems, suggesting its
applicability in specific types of pumping systems. Although in some situations, real-world
operation showed discrepancies compared to predictions, overall, this model proved to be
valuable for guiding projects aimed at implementing photovoltaic pumping systems in specific
wells with enhanced energy efficiency.
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