Overview
Keeping a competition horse arena properly irrigated is essential for dust suppression, footing consistency, and the welfare of both horse and rider. But what do you do when the ideal location for your arena has no mains power connection? For one private equestrian property on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, the answer was a fully solar-powered pump system built around REEFE’s InverterTEC Solar Controller, and the results on its very first morning exceeded even the most optimistic expectations.
The Challenge
The client had a large covered equestrian arena requiring regular dust suppression irrigation across four zones, each serviced by two impact sprinklers running at 100 litres per minute at 4 bar. With eight sprinklers in total and no grid connection available at the site, a conventional pump installation simply wasn’t an option.
The client needed a reliable, self-contained system capable of delivering consistent pressure and flow on demand; ideally one that wouldn’t require a diesel generator or expensive grid extension works. Solar was the logical answer, but the client was openly sceptical. Would a solar-powered pump really deliver the pressure and flow an arena irrigation system demands? And what would happen on a cloudy day?
The Solution
REEFE’s solution centred on the InverterTEC Solar Controller, a direct DC-to-AC variable frequency drive purpose-built for solar pump applications, paired with a 3-phase vertical multistage pump and a carefully engineered 7.04kW solar array.
The system was designed around 16 × 440W solar panels. Fifteen of these panels feed the InverterTEC Solar Controller directly, which converts the variable DC output of the array into regulated 3-phase AC to drive the pump motor, no battery storage required for the pump itself. The sixteenth panel powers a small 240V inverter and battery, providing a reliable low-power supply to run the irrigation controller and zone solenoid valves independently of the main pump circuit.
This split-array approach was a deliberate design choice. The pump benefits from the full capacity of 15 panels (6.6kW) for maximum performance, while the irrigation controller, which needs stable 240V power regardless of solar conditions, gets its own dedicated, battery-backed circuit from a single panel.
The InverterTEC Solar Controller continuously matches pump speed to the available solar energy. When the sun is strong, the pump runs at full speed. When cloud cover reduces panel output, the drive adjusts accordingly, keeping the system running rather than shutting it down.
System Summary
The Result
The system was commissioned on a completely overcast morning, about as demanding a first test as a solar installation can face. Despite the heavy cloud cover, the InverterTEC Solar Controller brought the pump online and the arena sprinklers fired across all zones without hesitation. The client, who had arrived prepared for disappointment, was instead astounded.
Having never seen a solar pump system perform under those conditions, they hadn’t believed it would be possible. Watching their arena irrigated to full coverage under a grey sky changed their perspective entirely. The response was enthusiastic enough that the client took the time to write positive reviews for the installing dealer, the installation contractor, and REEFE directly.
Key Takeaways
- No grid connection required.A well-designed solar pump system can meet demanding agricultural and equestrian irrigation requirements entirely off-grid.
- Performance in low-light conditions.The InverterTEC Solar Controller’s variable frequency operation means the system adapts to cloud cover rather than failing — a critical advantage in real-world conditions.
- Clever system architecture.Separating the pump circuit from the irrigation controller power supply, using a dedicated single-panel inverter/battery circuit, ensures stable automation without compromising pump capacity.
- Client confidence.Scepticism is common with solar pump proposals. Live commissioning under real conditions — even adverse ones — is the most effective way to demonstrate what the technology can deliver.