There are places where the problem is not the availability of water, but the energy needed to extract it and move it to where it is needed.
In many rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa, according to World Bank data, agricultural yield per hectare remains around 60% below the world average and less than 5% of farmland is irrigated: harvests depend almost entirely on irregular and often insufficient rainfall. Irrigation infrastructure is limited, and access to the electricity grid cannot be taken for granted, especially in the most isolated communities.
In these contexts the electricity grid simply isn’t there. Off-grid solar pumping — a system that extracts water using only the energy of solar panels, with no grid connection and no generators — is one of the most effective answers.
One of the main obstacles, however, is still the initial investment, which is also tied to the number of panels needed to power the pump. Installing a system requires panels, and panels come at a price that, for a smallholder farmer or for those working on a humanitarian project with a limited budget, can make the difference between a well that starts running and a well that stands still.
SunWave: the collaboration between Mac3 and Umbra Pompe
Mac3 and Umbra Pompe are two Italian family companies that have worked side by side for years. Mac3 brings to the system its experience in controlling and managing electric motors. Umbra Pompe contributes its expertise in the design and production of monobloc submersible pumps.
From this long-standing collaboration came SunWave: an off-grid solar pumping kit designed to work even with a reduced number of panels, answering a very concrete problem for those operating in remote areas by lowering the initial installation investment. Which means solar pumping stops being a solution reserved for those who can afford it, and becomes a real possibility for those with limited resources too.
How SunWave’s off-grid solar pumping works
SunWave is a stand-alone system that combines Umbra Pompe’s Sub Solar pump with Mac3’s e-Power Solar inverter.
The system requires no connection to the electricity grid and no storage batteries. The direct current produced by the photovoltaic panels is converted by the inverter into the alternating current needed to power the pump.
e-Power Solar automatically adjusts the motor speed according to the solar energy available. During the hours of strongest irradiation, the pump can work at a higher flow rate. When the light fades, the inverter adapts the motor’s operation to the energy available.
The three-phase asynchronous motor works across three voltage levels (80 V, 110 V, 230 V), chosen to optimise the voltage according to the pump’s power.
Applications include wells and boreholes, even beyond 60 metres deep, irrigation systems, collection tanks and water storage systems.
From New Guinea to Uganda: bringing water to remote areas
One of the first opportunities to work together came from SERMIG, the Servizio Missionario Giovani, through its Re.Te. programme (Restituzione Tecnologica), which aims to support the self-development of communities. A project in New Guinea needed a solar pumping station that could work with no electricity grid at all. Mac3 and Umbra Pompe supplied the SunWave system.
With our SunWave kit we had the opportunity to work with SERMIG on a project in New Guinea. It was rewarding to test the product in the field and, at the same time, to help those communities. It’s business that goes beyond the purely economic side: there is also the satisfaction of being able to help.
Federico Spita – Umbra Pompe
From that first experience, the collaborations have extended to other countries: Uganda and Central America.
In Uganda the project is carried forward in the field by W Water Works, a local partner specialising in solar pumping solutions, which has installed SunWave in several communities and farms. In the Lyantonde district, for example, a system powers the irrigation of a coffee plantation of around 3.5 acres, drawing water from a shallow well. In the Kiboga district, a similar system provides drinking water for the livestock of a local farm.
Different contexts and different uses, united by the same need: a system that can work far from the grid and remains sustainable in its installation and running costs.
Building value together
SunWave was born of this shared work: combining pump, inverter and photovoltaic power to make water pumping accessible even where electricity infrastructure doesn’t reach.
It is the result of a partnership built over time, in which different skills came together around a need. An example of how companies, technical partners and local organisations can build value together.
Frequently asked questions about off-grid solar pumping
What is off-grid solar pumping?
It is a system that uses solar energy to power a water pump with no need for an electricity grid, storage batteries or generators. SunWave, developed by Mac3 and Umbra Pompe, is one example: it runs on the direct energy of solar panels alone.
How many solar panels does a system like SunWave need?
The number depends on the power of the pump. SunWave’s three-phase motor works across three voltage levels (80 V, 110 V, 230 V) precisely to optimise consumption and reduce the number of panels needed compared with a traditional solar pumping system.
Where is the SunWave solar pumping kit used?
SunWave has been installed in New Guinea (SERMIG project), in Uganda — through local partner W Water Works — and in Central America, for applications ranging from community water supply to agricultural irrigation and livestock watering.