Does the whole solar panel need to have direct sunlight in order for the solar water pump to work?

Even on a cloudy day, our solar panels will often still provide some power to the pump. This is because a certain amount of photons still penetrate the cloud cover and hit the panel.

However, if there are any close-up obstructions, such as shadows from trees or your person, the solar panel will not be able to provide power. Even a small shadow on one section of the panel may disable it.

We do offer battery packs to extend the run time during minimal sunlight and after sunset for our solar water pumps and our solar air pump, you can view those here: https://www.solariverusa.com/collections/battery-compatible

If you are purchasing a new Solariver™ submersible solar water fountain pump with battery backup you will want to add the 235 GPH or 470 GPH battery compatible kits to your cart and then add the appropriate battery. The batteries are sold separately from the solar water pumps.

If you have an existing Solariver™ 900GPH or Aerator and want to use it with a battery, now you can! Select the respective Battery Pack for the 900 or Aerator and add to cart.

If you have an existing Solariver™ 160GPH and 360GPH solar fountain pump, you can now make it battery compatible by upgrading your solar panel to an 18V here then purchasing the battery for the 470.