Integrating concentrated solar power with seawater desalination technologies: a multi-regional environmental assessment

<p dir="ltr">Using renewable energy to power seawater desalination technologies can reduce the environmental impacts of a process which is essential for global water security. However, the uneven geospatial distribution of renewable energy resources and regions of water scarcity resu...

وصف كامل

محفوظ في:
التفاصيل البيبلوغرافية
المؤلف الرئيسي: Mohamed Alhaj (17151073) (author)
مؤلفون آخرون: Sami G Al-Ghamdi (18111871) (author)
منشور في: 2019
الموضوعات:
الوسوم: إضافة وسم
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author Mohamed Alhaj (17151073)
author2 Sami G Al-Ghamdi (18111871)
author2_role author
author_facet Mohamed Alhaj (17151073)
Sami G Al-Ghamdi (18111871)
author_role author
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Mohamed Alhaj (17151073)
Sami G Al-Ghamdi (18111871)
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2019-07-09T03:00:00Z
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv 10.1088/1748-9326/ab1d74
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Integrating_concentrated_solar_power_with_seawater_desalination_technologies_a_multi-regional_environmental_assessment/25347586
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv CC BY 4.0
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Engineering
Environmental engineering
Environmental sciences
Environmental management
life cycle assessment
desalination
concentrated solar power
water policy
solar desalination
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Integrating concentrated solar power with seawater desalination technologies: a multi-regional environmental assessment
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv Text
Journal contribution
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
text
contribution to journal
description <p dir="ltr">Using renewable energy to power seawater desalination technologies can reduce the environmental impacts of a process which is essential for global water security. However, the uneven geospatial distribution of renewable energy resources and regions of water scarcity results in unequal environmental benefits which creates uncertainty for global policy making. Hence, this study explores the relation between renewable energy resources, freshwater demand, and associated environmental impacts of desalination plants driven by renewable energy at a global scale using a comparative life-cycle assessment approach. We focus on an optimized solar-driven thermal desalination plant that we developed which can be used in seawater and brackish water treatment. By examining the life-cycle impact of the proposed plant in seven water-stressed cities, we found that the mean value for CO<sub>2</sub> emissions is 4.32 kg CO<sub>2</sub> eq./m<sup>3</sup> of desalted water which is 47% lower than conventional thermal desalination. There is a variation by as much as 80% and 95% in the climate change and water depletion, categories respectively across the selected cities. The multi-city analysis provides energy and water utilities, CSP project developers, and environmental authorities a global assessment of the environmental impact of solar desalination and sheds light on the correlation between solar intensity and seawater conditions on the overall environmental impact of this technology.</p><h2>Other Information</h2><p dir="ltr">Published in: Environmental Research Letters<br>License: <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a><br>See article on publisher's website: <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab1d74" target="_blank">https://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab1d74</a></p>
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oai_identifier_str oai:figshare.com:article/25347586
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spelling Integrating concentrated solar power with seawater desalination technologies: a multi-regional environmental assessmentMohamed Alhaj (17151073)Sami G Al-Ghamdi (18111871)EngineeringEnvironmental engineeringEnvironmental sciencesEnvironmental managementlife cycle assessmentdesalinationconcentrated solar powerwater policysolar desalination<p dir="ltr">Using renewable energy to power seawater desalination technologies can reduce the environmental impacts of a process which is essential for global water security. However, the uneven geospatial distribution of renewable energy resources and regions of water scarcity results in unequal environmental benefits which creates uncertainty for global policy making. Hence, this study explores the relation between renewable energy resources, freshwater demand, and associated environmental impacts of desalination plants driven by renewable energy at a global scale using a comparative life-cycle assessment approach. We focus on an optimized solar-driven thermal desalination plant that we developed which can be used in seawater and brackish water treatment. By examining the life-cycle impact of the proposed plant in seven water-stressed cities, we found that the mean value for CO<sub>2</sub> emissions is 4.32 kg CO<sub>2</sub> eq./m<sup>3</sup> of desalted water which is 47% lower than conventional thermal desalination. There is a variation by as much as 80% and 95% in the climate change and water depletion, categories respectively across the selected cities. The multi-city analysis provides energy and water utilities, CSP project developers, and environmental authorities a global assessment of the environmental impact of solar desalination and sheds light on the correlation between solar intensity and seawater conditions on the overall environmental impact of this technology.</p><h2>Other Information</h2><p dir="ltr">Published in: Environmental Research Letters<br>License: <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a><br>See article on publisher's website: <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab1d74" target="_blank">https://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab1d74</a></p>2019-07-09T03:00:00ZTextJournal contributioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersiontextcontribution to journal10.1088/1748-9326/ab1d74https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Integrating_concentrated_solar_power_with_seawater_desalination_technologies_a_multi-regional_environmental_assessment/25347586CC BY 4.0info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:figshare.com:article/253475862019-07-09T03:00:00Z
spellingShingle Integrating concentrated solar power with seawater desalination technologies: a multi-regional environmental assessment
Mohamed Alhaj (17151073)
Engineering
Environmental engineering
Environmental sciences
Environmental management
life cycle assessment
desalination
concentrated solar power
water policy
solar desalination
status_str publishedVersion
title Integrating concentrated solar power with seawater desalination technologies: a multi-regional environmental assessment
title_full Integrating concentrated solar power with seawater desalination technologies: a multi-regional environmental assessment
title_fullStr Integrating concentrated solar power with seawater desalination technologies: a multi-regional environmental assessment
title_full_unstemmed Integrating concentrated solar power with seawater desalination technologies: a multi-regional environmental assessment
title_short Integrating concentrated solar power with seawater desalination technologies: a multi-regional environmental assessment
title_sort Integrating concentrated solar power with seawater desalination technologies: a multi-regional environmental assessment
topic Engineering
Environmental engineering
Environmental sciences
Environmental management
life cycle assessment
desalination
concentrated solar power
water policy
solar desalination