Integration of Solar Distillation in Dairy Effluent Treatment: A Step Toward Reducing Carbon Footprint

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Abstract The present study deals with how solar distillation may minimise energy usage and the carbon footprint of traditional effluent treatment plants. From the experimental investigations, it has been found that solar distillation is an effective wastewater treatment approach. After effluent treatment, the water appeared clean and transparent. Even its foul smell was gone. The effluent and absorber plate temperatures varied similarly, with little difference. The maximum absorber plate and effluent temperatures were 70°C and 60°C. Average temperatures were 57°C and 55°C. The condenser glass cover, distiller bottom surface, and air temperatures showed similar changes. Up to 10 a.m., these temperatures were low but reached a maximum of 60°C, 49°C, and 41.1°C by the afternoon. Their average temperatures were 47°C, 42.3°C, and 38.8°C. At 2 p.m., with 836 W/m2 solar irradiation, the greatest hourly production was 0.337 kg/hr. Overall production was 1.69 kg per day for 0.45 square metres. The projected yield per square metre was 3–4 kg per day. Chemical analysis shows pH has increased from 5.1 to 7.2. The fact that the water went from acidic to alkaline shows that effluent treatment produces high-quality water. TDS reduced from 815 ppm to 80 ppm after effluent treatment, indicating fewer pollutants and better water quality. This study also showed that integrating the solar distillation system into the central effluent treatment plant reduced its load by 40%.