The total price of a solar water pumping agriculture system is dependent on a number of factors, including the following:
- A) System size: The high initial investment costs of photovoltaic generators are the primary barrier that prevents solar water pumps from reaching significant penetration rates (Firatogly & Yesilata, 2004). The photovoltaic generator is the component of the system that is the most expensive. The initial expenses of the system are heavily impacted by a number of factors, chief among them being the size and capacity of the PV generator. As a result, it is essential to make use of the lowest conceivable system size that is yet capable of satisfying all of the requirements for that particular site. To compensate for the high initial investment costs of putting in place photovoltaic water pumping systems, local governments in many areas are required to provide grants or other forms of financial assistance (Short and Oldach, 2003). Solar water pumps may have greater initial expenses, but their increased dependability may more than make up for the difference in price when compared to diesel pump systems (Barlow et al., 2003).
- B) The levels of insolation: This has a one-to-one correlation with the minimum size requirement for the system. The amount of sunlight that is available, as well as its intensity, is what determines the capacity requirements, and as a result, the size requirements, for the solar generator. The lower the compositional requirements, the more sun there is.
- C) the height of the pumping: The height that the water must go in order to be pumped is referred to as the pumping head. The pumping head has a direct proportional relationship to the costs incurred per unit of water volume. According to Odeh and colleagues' findings, the unit cost per volume of water extracted from a shallow well with a depth of only 20 meters is approximately five times less than that extracted from a deep well with a depth of 100 meters (Odeh, Yohannes, and Norton, 2006).
Although the size of the system and the amount of sunlight received have a significant impact on the upfront expenses of a photovoltaic water pump, the system's operational costs are typically rather cheap as a result of fewer labor and maintenance expenditures. On the other hand, cheap diesel or gas generators have minimal costs associated with the original investment; however, they require frequent maintenance and have parts that have a shorter lifespan, which drives up the operational expenses. Because of this significant economic benefit over the long run, solar water pumping systems are more profitable than traditional pumping systems such as diesel pumps (NYSERDA, 2004). Research that looked at the economics of solar water pumps, for instance, found that in seven different nations (Argentina, Brazil, Indonesia, Jordan, the Philippines, and Tunisia and Zimbabwe), conventional water pumping systems are more expensive than solar water pumping systems. Up to 4 kilowatts of diesel pumping capacity are included in this power range (Posorski & Haars, 1994; Posorski, 1996). According to research conducted by the Bureau of Land Management near Battle Mountain, Nevada, USA, over the course of twenty years, the cost of some photovoltaic systems is only 64% of what it would be over the course of 10 years for a comparable diesel generator system (NYSERDA, 2004). 
In addition, the amount of man-hours necessary to operate the photovoltaic system was only 14% of that needed to operate the diesel generator system. According to the findings of a study conducted by Odeh and colleagues, solar water pumping systems have a higher return on investment than diesel pumping systems when the equivalent hydraulic capacity of the two systems is less than 5750 m4/day and the average daily insolation is 21.6 MJ/m2. Diesel fuel, on the other hand, can be pumped at a more cost-effective rate for larger applications (Odeh, Yohanis, and Norton, 2006). Solar water pumps are able to transport water to areas that are inaccessible by traditional power connections. In most cases, these locations obtain their water supply through the use of manual labor, animal power, or diesel engines (Omer, 2001). Solar water pumps have the potential to serve as a viable alternative to pre-existing pumping systems while also bringing about positive societal, economic, and environmental outcomes. It is possible to use the water that is pumped by the solar water pump to either irrigate crops or cattle, or it can be used to supply drinking water. A solar water pumping system is simply an electric pumping system in which the electricity is supplied by one or more photovoltaic (PV) panels. This allows the solar water pumping system to operate without the need for traditional fossil fuels. A solar-powered pumping system typically consists of a collection of solar panels that provide energy to an electric motor, which in turn provides energy to a well pump or surface pump. 
Because water is often pumped from the ground or through pipes to a storage tank that offers gravity feed, there is no requirement for energy storage in these types of systems. There are primarily two different technologies that are used for solar water pumps: a) a centrifugal pump, which utilizes high-speed spinning to draw water through the center of the pump; and b) a vacuum pump. A centrifugal impeller is utilized in the majority of conventional alternating current (AC) pumps. However, the pump's performance is significantly hindered when it is operating with a low amount of electricity. This renders centrifugal pumps less appropriate for use in solar applications since it is anticipated that less power will be generated due to overcast weather; b) positive displacement pumps, which typically utilize a piston to transport water; and (Short & Thompson, 2003). A positive displacement pump is one of the most common types of solar water pump. This type of pump takes water into a chamber and then expels the water using a piston or screw. In general, pumps of this type pump more slowly than pumps of other types, but they can still generate high lift and function effectively in settings when the horsepower available is limited. Solar pumps have to be as energy-efficient as they possibly can be given the high cost of PV and the fact that it is an intermittent source of electricity. The effectiveness of a pump can be determined by the amount of water that can be pumped with one watt of electricity. 
Pumps can be divided into two categories: surface pumps and submersible pumps. This is something that is dependent on the type of pump that is most suited to the water source. In the case of a well, it is imperative that the pump be submerged in the water. Floating pumps are a type of surface pump that can be installed on the surface of water, or floating pumps can be installed adjacent to a lake. Surface pumps are more cost-effective than submersible pumps. Nevertheless, they are not designed for suction and can only draw water from a depth of approximately 6.5 meters. The conveyance of water over great distances is ideally accomplished by surface pumps.