Irrigation Energy & Backup — Pump Loads, Generators, Solar-Battery Hybrid & RFQ
Irrigation is a daytime-heavy load — pivots, drip boosters, filtration and fertigation pumps run in scheduled windows. That is the perfect duty cycle for solar plus battery, with a genset only for the worst design days.
How are these load assumptions derived?
Figures are reference values from typical commercial projects — real numbers depend on climate, crop, motor selection (DOL vs VFD), controls topology and outage-risk tolerance. Use them to frame the RFQ; final sizing is confirmed by the winning EPC and OEM as part of the engineered proposal.
Reference figures. Real specs and pricing come from the qualified suppliers that respond to your private RFQ. SeedMatchGroup does not resell equipment.
Core loads: main booster pump, secondary/zone pumps, filtration backwash, fertigation dosing, VFD cabinets and control panels. The dominant number is the booster pump — everything else is small.
Motor inrush governs generator sizing: 4–7× nameplate for direct-on-line, 1.5–2× on soft-starters, ~1× on VFDs. Every commercial irrigation genset should assume VFDs on booster pumps.
Typical load assumptions
Continuous vs peak vs critical (must-survive-an-outage) loads by project scale. Motor starting inrush is 4–7× nameplate for direct-on-line and ~1.5–2× on VFDs — genset kVA must cover the worst-case inrush without voltage collapse.
| Project scale | Continuous | Peak / inrush | Critical load | Runtime target |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 ha drip | 7–15 kW | 20–35 kW | 3–5 kW | 4–8 h/day |
| 50 ha drip / micro | 22–45 kW | 60–100 kW | 8–12 kW | 6–10 h/day |
| 100 ha pivot | 55–90 kW | 140–220 kW | 15–25 kW | 8–12 h/day |
| 300–500 ha mixed | 150–300 kW | 400–700 kW | 40–70 kW | 10–14 h/day |
Recommended generator & storage setups
Vendor-neutral reference stacks — diesel or gas generator, LFP battery storage, optional solar PV, ATS and controls. Hybrid stacks let solar and battery serve daytime load while the genset only starts on demand.
| Scale | Generator | Battery (LFP) | Solar PV | ATS / controls | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 ha drip | 30–40 kVA diesel | 10–20 kWh LFP | 10–20 kWp (opt.) | ATS + VFD on pump | Genset as backup; solar sensible if grid is weak. |
| 50 ha | 80–125 kVA diesel | 30–60 kWh LFP | 40–80 kWp | ATS + EMS + VFDs | Hybrid attractive; irrigation window matches solar noon. |
| 100 ha pivot | 250–350 kVA diesel | 80–150 kWh LFP | 120–250 kWp | ATS + EMS + soft-starters/VFDs | Solar covers daytime; battery bridges pivot restarts. |
| 300–500 ha | 500–800 kVA prime | 200–400 kWh LFP | 400–800 kWp | Paralleling gear + full EMS | Fuel savings of 40–70% vs pure-diesel prime power. |
- VFD on every booster pump above ~15 kW — kills inrush, saves fuel, smooths generator load.
- Solar-first hybrid for daytime irrigation — genset only starts on demand.
- Battery sized for a full watering window on the worst design day, not by kWh price.
- Pressure-managed drip zones to flatten the load profile.
- Remote telemetry — flow, pressure, fuel, kWh — on every commercial site.
Related energy resources
FAQ
RFQ — Irrigation energy & backup
Prefilled from this energy application. Review and adjust — a dedicated sourcing specialist dispatches the RFQ privately to qualified global suppliers and integrators.