I am designing my aquaponics system as I go because I was paralyzed by thinking through options. So I have taken up the shovel.
I've dug out a ~2000 gallon tank at the highest point of my
yard. (the lowest point was already taken by tree
roots and such.) Then I have two growbeds at 30 x 4 feet and 40 x 4 feet, on a slope with a three foot differential between the tank and the growbed endpoint. So that's where the
water comes out... how to get it back up?
As you can see in the attachment, a mains-powered water pump is the default option. I would like to sustainably power the system.
Could I put a microhydro generator near the bottom, parallel to the growbeds, that recharges a battery bank and powers the return pump? Could I mount stationary
solar panels that do the same?
Should I just buy a normal pump, forget about alternative
energy, and move on? I'd be grateful for your thoughts.