Several photovoltaic applications, specially the water pumping systems, are installed to contribute in the socio-economic development in Algerian Sahara. About sixty pumps are installed in remote regions to supply water for drinking and irrigation. The centrifugal pumps present the state-of-the-art for most applications. This paper presents the electrical and hydraulic performance of a surface centrifugal pump versus total water heads and versus a size of PV array. Also the area irrigated by this solar surface pump is calculated under Sahara climate conditions for four crops, namely wheat, potatoes, tomatoes and sunflowers. These were selected to meet with food standards of the sites. Two application sites were chosen to test the developed model. The first is Bechar station and the second is Tamanrasset station. In both, the recorded solar radiation data were used. The results, which are illustrated by tables and curves, are analysed. The analysis of the performance concluded that this surface pump is suitable for installation in the Sahara regions with low water head. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.