The use of photovoltaics as the power source for pumping water is one of the most promising areas in photovoltaic
applications. With the increased use of water pumping systems, more attention has been paid to their design and optimum
utilization in order to achieve the most reliable and economical operation. This paper presents the results of performance
optimization of a photovoltaic powered water pumping system in the Kuwait climate. The direct coupled photovoltaic
water pumping system studied consists of the PV array, DC motor, centrifugal pump, a storage tank that serves a similar
purpose to battery storage and a maximum power point tracker to improve the efficiency of the system. The pumped water
is desired to satisfy the domestic needs of 300 persons in a remote area in Kuwait. Assuming a figure of 40 l/person/day for
water consumption, a volume of 12 m3 should be pumped daily from a deep well throughout the year.