THE BROAD PROSPECTS FOR SPREADING THE USE OF PV WATER PUMPING SYSTEM IN QINGHAI - TIBET HIGHLAND

This paper investigates the feasibility and future of using photovoltaic water pumping system instead of diesel motor to solve the water problem in remote areas in Qinghai-Tibet highland. The goal of this project is to improve the supply of clean drinking water for human and domestic animal consumption, which will contribute towards social and economic development in minority nationality regions. A 420Wp demonstrative photovoltaic water pumping system was installed in Gangcha (Tibetans district), Qinghai province in 1992. During its more than 2 years operation, the results are very encouraging. The experiments show that for small scale water pumping system the PV set has its incomparable advantages to diesel one. The cost of water pumped by PV set may possibly be even one half of that by diesel motor. Those results would be applied to the similar areas in China, such as Xingjiang, Ganshu, Inner Mongolia and to all the other lacking petroleum but sunny areas in China. The only disadvantage of PV water pumping system for sunny areas were the too large initial investment in capital construction. The people there longs for getting supports from government, World Bank, UNDP or other international foundations.