Solar Due Diligence for Rural Water Schemes
Technical review of proposed solar water pumping systems, vendor assumptions, cost estimates, and implementation risks.
- Client type
- Donor-funded program
- Decision supported
- Contracting and implementation readiness.
- 01
Independent due diligence on a vendor-proposed package of solar water pumping systems before contract award.
- 02
Stress-tested hydrogeology assumptions, daily yield modelling, and lifecycle costs against field conditions and community demand.
- 03
Flagged contractable risks early, letting the donor amend procurement rather than absorb them post-award.
Context
The program was preparing to contract a multi-site solar water pumping rollout in eastern Sudan, serving rural communities with no reliable alternative source. A single EPC proposal had been received and the donor needed an independent technical opinion before committing.
Approach
We reviewed the vendor's borehole data, pump curves, PV sizing logic, and O&M assumptions, then cross-checked them against regional hydrogeology, expected drawdown, and realistic community demand at design horizon. Cost estimates were rebuilt bottom-up and compared to recent regional benchmarks.
Findings
Yield projections assumed best-case water table behaviour and ignored seasonal drawdown at several sites. Pump selection was conservative on head but optimistic on duty cycle, which would shorten replacement intervals. Spares, tooling, and operator training were under-scoped in the EPC price, transferring hidden cost to the operator after handover.
Recommendations
Site-by-site adjustments to pump selection, revised storage and reticulation sizing for peak-demand months, and a contract addendum pulling spares, training, and a 24-month performance warranty into the EPC scope. A risk register was issued with owner-assigned mitigations.
- Hydrogeology needs a worst-season stress test, not an average-year one.
- Spares, tooling, and training belong inside the EPC price, not outside it.
- Independent due diligence pays for itself the first time it forces a contract amendment.
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