External Support\nfor Solar-Powered Water Pumping Systems\nin Rural Areas: A Systematic Review

The Sustainable Development Goals emphasize coordination\nand integration\nbetween sectors. Solar-powered submersible water pumping systems are\nversatile technology that help address community drinking water, irrigation,\nand electricity needs. Stakeholders external to the community, particularly\nsolar photovoltaic experts, are vital in ensuring continued system\nservices; however, there has been no comprehensive assessment of different\nsolar-powered water pumping system support efforts. This review is\nthe first to systematically evaluate external support for solar-powered\nsystems from multiple regions and implementing organizations. We reviewed\nsolar-powered water pumping system literature to identify implemented\nexternal support and factors that affect implementation. Publication\ndatabases, organization Web sites, and citations were searched. Seventy-four\nstudies were included and evaluated using inductive coding and thematic\nsynthesis. We derived a framework that organized support activities\nand factors into three nested levels of implementation: system, program,\nand sector. For support efforts implemented after 2010, most support\nproviders worked at all levels. Each provider type worked at levels\naligned with their knowledge and resources and complementary to other\nproviders’ work. Drivers of support specific to solar-powered\nwater systems were the existence of solar photovoltaic markets and\ninfrastructure, support providers experienced with solar photovoltaics,\nand government and community solar advocates. We grouped support factors\nthat study authors associated with system functionality into four\ncategories: location and quality of support, reliability of support\narrangements, frequency and timeliness of support, and policy and\nregulatory environment. No study outlined support for multiple uses\nof the systems or end-of-lifecycle care of solar panels. Solar-powered\nwater pumping systems provide multiple community services, and their\nmanagement will be bolstered by support providers collaborating to\noptimally apply their skill sets and create support plans that comprehensively\naddress system versatility.