Performance of the SolWat system operating in static mode vs. dynamic for wastewater treatment: Power generation and obtaining reclaimed water

Abstract

Two hybrid SolWat systems operating in static (without flow circulation) versus dynamic (with flow circulation) mode were simultaneously compared. This work aims to demonstrate the viability of SolWat in dynamic mode to: a) adapt to the operation of the WWTP with a continuous flow, in which the wastewater flows continuously for treatment, b) treat a larger volume of water in the system and c) increase the cooling of the PV modules thanks to the cooling of the temperature of the water sample to improve the energy efficiency in the system. Real secondary wastewater effluents from wastewater treatment plants were used, using solar energy for water disinfection and photovoltaic energy production, in order to use the SolWat systems and implement it as a tertiary treatment. A total of five experiments were performed during autumn, winter, spring and summer. Solar disinfection of Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis and Clostridium perfringens was assessed, and physicochemical parameters were also analysed. The UV dose received by the SolWat systems was the same, but not for the microorganisms in the water sample. The static SolWat irradiated a particle (microorganism) for 4 h, while the dynamic SolWat irradiated intermittently, so the latter system received a shorter UV exposure time, and therefore a lower UV dose. Results indicated that, although the microorganisms did not obtain the absolute bacterial inactivation during the SODIS treatment in any SolWat system, adequate inactivation levels were achieved to allow the reuse of the water for various uses (Royal Decree 1620/2007, Regulation (EU) 2020/741), although to a lesser extent for SolWat in dynamic mode, which treated twice the volume of water and reached cooler temperatures. C. perfringens proved to be the most resistant bacterium tested. The total photovoltaic energy production in the dynamic mode system was more energy efficient than the static mode, being even more efficient than the single PV reference system during the spring (3.5%) and summer (2.7%) test, due to the compensating effect by the cooling of the water on the photovoltaic module against the losses caused by radiation.