Most pumps are dedicated. For submersible solar well pumps, it is necessary to consider how to make the pump use variable available power from a fixed depth to increase the water volume. There are many designs and brands of solar water pumps that can achieve this goal. Although it is possible to operate a pump that is not specifically designed for solar energy, unless the pump is provided with the voltage and frequency on the nameplate, its performance is unlikely to be very good.

The pump provided by the solar pump manufacturer can directly use photovoltaic power to pump. Some pumps use positive displacement diaphragms and DC motors, and DC motors usually use linear current converters to take full advantage of low-light conditions. Other pumps use a screw rotor pump design, which is driven by an AC or DC motor with a controller to manage varying power conditions. Some pumps use multi-stage centrifugal pumps. These centrifugal pumps are designed to give priority to the development of pressure heads in a wide range of speeds. The difference between centrifugal pumps and other submersible pumps is that they usually use thrust bearings in the pump to compensate for upward thrust when the pump is approaching full speed. The centrifugal pump can be powered by an AC or DC motor with a controller to compensate for changing power conditions and stop the pump when the minimum flow cannot be met at low speeds.