Will there be a water shortage after solar power generation

Are water shortages affecting energy security?

The power sector is particularly vulnerable to growing water stress, and increasing water shortages in dry regions are a major source of concern for energy security. Hydropower generation could decline significantly in regions where water flows are likely to decrease, such as southern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.

Is solar power causing a water crisis?

The large-scale development of PV, especially CSP, in which the latter's water demand of heliostat cleaning, steam cycling and process cooling is as high as that of coal-fired power (Bracken et al., 2015), may lead to a water crisis.

Why do solar energy shortages rise disproportionately in low- and middle-latitude countries?

However, such ascending trends are unevenly distributed worldwide, with a greater variability in low- and middle-latitude developing countries. This uptrend in extreme shortage events is driven by extremely low wind speed and solar radiation, particularly compound wind and solar drought, which however are strongly disproportionated.

How does water shortage affect power supply in China?

Severe water shortages can result in power curtailments and reduce the reliability of the electrical power system [12, 13]. China produced 26% of the total global electric power in 2018 , with thermal power as the main contributor (accounting for 72% nationally ).

Can solar power provide clean water?

Many of the clean technologies being deployed to provide electricity can also be used to provide access to water. Decentralised solar PV water pumps can replace more expensive diesel pumps and mini-grids can power filtration technologies, such as reverse osmosis systems, to produce clean drinking water.

Can solar power produce freshwater?

Recently, solar-driven hybrid energy systems have been proposed for freshwater production via thermal-induced seawater evaporation or polluted water distillation and power generation via photovoltaic panels or salinity gradient 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41.