The land usage is one of the most important environmental impact about the solar disinfection. The process of solar disinfection requires very low depth water tanker (around 10-15 centimetres) in the case you want low survival fraction for microorganisms within the contaminated water. Generally, as the depth of storing water increase the intensity of solar radiation decrease. Consequently, as the water volume increase the surface that occupies the water tanker increase. Storing water with 10cm depth and volume 1m^3 requires 10 square meters water tanker. In the above surfaces you probably need to add the PV surfaces.

From a life cycle assessment (LCA) standpoint, the solar manufacturing stage causes most of the adverse environmental impacts such as global warming, acidification, eutrophication, ecotoxicity, ozone depletion, smog formation, human respiratory effects, carcinogens, and non-carcinogenics. Moreover, depletion of vaulable valuable materials is another adverse effect. In the use phase of LCA, land use is an adverse effect.

Professor Yehia Khalil, Yale University, USA

Fellow of the University of Oxford, UK

What is a solar disinfectant Yehia? Not something I have come across in an Austr context.

Hi Turlough - The idea of solar disinfection (SoDis) is based on using the solar energy to destroy biological contaminants such as bacterial in drinking water. From a design perspective, SoDis is just like solar concentrators / mirrors that direct the solar radiation on a set of water bottles to disinfect them through heating. Please have a look at the following URL for more information:

https://www.cdc.gov/safewater/solardisinfection.html

Best wishes,

Yehia

The potential environmental impacts associated with solar power — land use and habitat loss, water use, and the use of hazardous materials in manufacturing — can vary greatly depending on the technology, which includes two broad categories: photovoltaic (PV) solar cells or concentrating solar thermal plants (CSP).

The scale of the system — ranging from small, distributed rooftop PV arrays to large utility-scale PV and CSP projects — also plays a significant role in the level of environmental impact.

Hi,

Certainly, there are negative effects on the land, on the climate and of course on human health. I also add that the salinity of the earth is increasing and its pH is no longer the same. etc.

Therefore, I agree with Prof. Yahia Khalil.

Best regards!

Dr. Adel OUESLATI