ACQ80-04-18KW5-4 Variable Frequency Drive ACQ80 18.5kW 3x380

ACQ80-04-18KW5-4 — ABB ACQ80 pump drive rated 18.5 kW, three-phase 380V, 38.0 A. Frame R0-R8, IP20. The top size of the ACQ80-04 line for powerful water-supply and wastewater stations. Supply from the grid or a solar array with MPPT.

Typical applications:

• Trunk water-supply pumping station
• Medium-capacity sewage station
• Solar water lifting for a large agricultural site

Note: built-in braking module, EMC filter, Modbus RTU. This is the largest IP20 model; higher ratings come as ACQ80-01 in IP21.

ABB ACQ80 — solar pump VFD for water supply

ACQ80 is the pump-focused branch of ABB's water drives. What sets it apart is that the same drive controls a three-phase pump motor either from the regular 380V grid or directly from a solar array through a DC input with MPPT tracking. If you need a drive for a borehole, irrigation or a pumping station that should not depend on a stable grid, this is the dedicated series — not a general-purpose drive.

Our ACQ80 lineup covers 0.8 to 315 kW, all models are three-phase 380V on the input. Smaller frames (ACQ80-04, R0-R8) come in IP20 with a built-in braking module; higher power ratings (ACQ80-01, R4-R9) are IP21. Every unit ships with a built-in EMC filter and Modbus RTU.

Where ACQ80 fits

• Borehole and irrigation pumps 0.8-4 kW: where operation from both grid and sun is needed — typical for agriculture and remote sites.
• Booster pumping stations 5.5-22 kW: pressure maintenance in water supply with dry-run protection.
• Sewage and drainage pumps 30-90 kW: wastewater stations with impeller cleaning function.
• Trunk water-utility pumps 110-315 kW: second-lift stations where reliability and ABB service matter.

What sets ACQ80 apart

Our take is simple: if the site can run on solar energy or switch between grid and sun, ACQ80 pays off. For an ordinary grid-only pumping station, paying extra for MPPT is not always justified.

When ACQ80 is NOT the right choice

• An ordinary grid pumping station with no solar panels and a tight budget — see Veichi AC310, cheaper and also with PID and Modbus.
• A drive for a conveyor, machine tool or fan (not a pump) — you need a general-purpose VFD, not a pump series.
• You need full PLC logic — ACQ80 has pump macros, but it is not a programmable controller.

Our experience with ACQ80

Most ACQ80 enquiries we get are for agricultural boreholes and small water utilities that want to cut electricity bills using solar. A common question is whether the pump can start from the grid in the morning and switch to panels during the day: yes, the series was built for exactly that. The rest of ABB's water-supply drives are gathered in our ABB section.