SUNFLOWER PUMP

ILRI, 12th April 2012

The Sunflower Pump

What is the Sunflower pump?

• Solar thermal household water pump• Designed for irrigation• Allows dry season cultivation of cash crops • Ground water depth range < 15m• Suction pumping also possible• Add-on – battery, mobile charge?• Target cost 4500 – 6000 Birr

Pump in Operation

• See videos

Design criteria• Low capital cost• Negligible running costs, • High daily water yield• Hard wearing• Manual back-up• Simple components to maximise local manufacturing

and assembly• VLOM (like a bicycle)

Key Benefits• Create income generating opportunities for poor small

holder farmers• Improve food security during dry seasons (climate change

adaptation)• Free children and women from the onerous task of lifting

water• Provide an alternative to polluting, expensive fossil fuel

pumps• Catalyse creation of small businesses in manufacturing,

assembly, repairs, sales etc. • Provide other rural power requirements

TeamInternational• Sunflower.org (UK) – company dedicated to commercialisation

of solar steam pump• Practica Foundation (Holland) – appropriate technology research

and development NGO• IDE (Ethiopia & US) – NGO focused on ‘creating income

generating opportunities for rural poor’Local• Manufacturing Partners – to manufacturer, assemble, install ,

post-sales service. • Local Facilitating Partners – promotion, training, quality control,

maintenance i.e. Technology Support

Development timeline• 1980s - 2009 experimentation and testing of early

prototypes• 2009 – working prototype that satisfies all design criteria• 2010 – initial field testing in Ziway, Oromia • 2011 – design and testing of improved prototype in

Netherlands; market and manufacturing study in Ethiopia

• 2012 – further supply chain research, trial manufacturing and assembly of 10 – 20 units in Addis/Bahir Dar; extended field testing/pilot installations around Ethiopia.

• 2013 – manufacturing blueprint; selection of local partners; volume production; development and training of support services, marketing and sales

Funding securedN

ot funded

Funding • Liberty Foundation – 150, 000 Euros

– R & D– Market study– Local manufacturing study– Ten improved prototypes in field

• REEEP/IDE – 150, 000 Euros– Supply chain study– Financing mechanisms– Local v global production study– Design optimisation for mass production– Development of training materials

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Daily yield v. ground water depth (3 sqm collector, n = 1.2%, G = 900W/sqm.)

SWL (m)

Yield (litres)

Cultivated Area (sqm.)

Income potential

REVENUE Irrigated area

Daily water

Time to harvest

Crop density Productivity

Revenue per unit

Revenue (ETB)

CROP(m2) (litres)   plants/m2      

Onions 200 1000 4.5 months 45 1 kg/10 plants 4 - 8 birr/kg 5,400.00Onions seedlings  100 500 45 days

1 merip/ 10sqm.

2 crops/dry season 150 - 260 birr 3,600.00

Cabbages 60 300 Continual 22-4 kuntal/2

weeks 30 birr/kuntal 1,040.00

Peppers 60 3003 - 5

months 4 5 kilos/plant 6 birr/kg 7,200.00TOTAL 420 2100 Total income 17,240.00

COSTS Description UnitUnit price (ETB) No Total (ETB)

Seeds Imported indian seeds tin 150 12.00 1,800Fungicide Rediomil Gold kg 250 1.00 250Insecticide Selecron 0.5ltr 290 1.00 290

Distribution system Drum and hose complete 750 1.00 750

Labour n/a ETB 0

Transport to market Donkey cart journey 5 30.00 150

Total costs 3,240

ANNUAL REVENUE = 14, 000 BIRR (if crop quality and market prices are optimal)

Market potentialWoreda HH %Irr <6m 6-12m 12-18m Total Rating

Jebitenan 37,802 53.3% 8728 5923 5103 19754 54

Banja Shekudad 17,975 40.0% 3981 2318 1678 7977 51

Dangila 27,017 46.0% 6454 3669 2871 12994 51

Fagitalekuma 24,045 38.5% 4484 2565 2478 9527 49

Mecha 59,016 51.0% 13,549 9,128 7,072 29749 49

Fogera 45,820 54.0% 20,602 4,030 2,613 27245 49

S. Achefer 26,189 35.0% 4236 2800 2667 9703 47

This represents a total of almost 100, 000 households.

Nation Development

• Growth and transformation plan• Green economy• Business and job creation • Climate change resilience• Green energy for Millennium Development Goals• Ethiopian pump exports

IMPROVED PUMP

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Next steps

• Trial local manufacturing of improved prototype• Extended field testing/demonstration • Identify facilitating partners• Development of Technology Support Program

o Promotion and disseminationo Establishment of repair and maintenance networko Training and production of training materialso Certification/ Quality controlo Agreements with credit agencies

o Low volume deployment in one/two Regions

www.sunflowerpump.org