Abstract
This research looks at coupling desalination with renewable energy sources to create a high-value product (treated water) from two low value resources (brackish groundwater and intermittent solar energy). Desalination of brackish groundwater is already being considered as a potential new water supply in Texas. This research uses Texas as a testbed for spatially-resolved analysis techniques while considering depth to brackish groundwater, water quality, and solar radiation across Texas to determine the locations with the best potential for integrating solar energy with brackish groundwater desalination. The framework presented herein can be useful for policymakers, regional planners, and project developers as they consider where to site desalination facilities coupled with solar photovoltaics. Results suggest that the northwestern region of Texas—with abundant sunshine and groundwater at relatively shallow depths and low salinity in areas with freshwater scarcity—has the highest potential for solar powered desalination. The range in capacity for solar photovoltaic powered reverse osmosis desalination was found to be 1.56 × 10—6 to 2.93 × 10—5 cubic meters of water per second per square meter of solar panel (m3/s/m2).
Highlights
The relationship between the water and energy sectors—for example the energy required to distribute, collect, and treat water and wastewater and the water required to extract and process fossil fuels and to generate electricity—is of increasing interest to policymakers and planners
Given the existing strain on freshwater along with a wealth of solar and brackish water resources, this research will focus on Texas as a testbed; the research methodology and results will be broadly applicable to areas with similar resources and prevailing conditions
The following assumptions were made in carrying out this research: the efficiency of solar PV panels was assumed to be 15% for calculating the power generation from solar PV panels as reported by industry as a typical efficiency [13], a pump efficiency of 65% was assumed based on literature [5], and a specific gravity of 9.81 × 103 N/m3 was assumed for calculating the power requirements of desalination [5]
Summary
The relationship between the water and energy sectors—for example the energy required to distribute, collect, and treat water and wastewater and the water required to extract and process fossil fuels and to generate electricity—is of increasing interest to policymakers and planners. The decreasing water quality and increasing depth and distance to raw water sources increases the strain that is already on the available water supply. As population and water demand increase, there is a need for new freshwater sources. While the population in Texas is expected to grow 82% from 2010 to 2060, water use is estimated to grow only 22% due to decreases in agricultural water use from efficiency improvements and municipal water use from conservation measures [6]. At the current rate of production and consumption, future supplies of water will not meet future demand unless alternative sources are tapped. Texas has an abundance of brackish groundwater, thought to be more than 2.7 billion acre-feet [7], which can possibly be desalinated and used to meet public needs. Brackish groundwater is defined as water with a total dissolved solids (TDS) concentration of 1000 to 10,000 mg/L. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has set a primary standard concentration for TDS of 500 mg/L and a secondary standard of
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