Sewage plant photovoltaic support cost

Is solar PV a suitable source of energy for small wastewater treatment plants?

Solar PV represents a suitable source of energy for small wastewater treatment plants for two main reasons: lack of biogas recovery opportunity and land availability. The EPA (2007) noted that for wastewater treatment plants with less than 5 MGD flow, it is not cost effective to recover biogas for energy applications.

Where are solar PV wastewater treatment plants located?

Most of the solar PV adopted wastewater treatment plants are located in California, USA. For wastewater treatment plant capacity of above 5 Million Gallons per day inflow, around 8–30% of its energy demand is met by solar PV modules.

Does size of wastewater treatment plant affect solar PV adoption?

The analysis focused on the effect of three sector-specific influencing factors: size of wastewater treatment plant, presence/absence of anaerobic digestion and geographical location (urban vs rural). Solar PV adoption was observed to vary significantly with the size of the wastewater treatment plants.

What is the difference between biogas & solar PV in wastewater treatment plants?

In wastewater treatment plants with a flow rate above 5 MGD, solar PV was primarily installed in hybrid configurations with anaerobic digestion. In these plants, biogas contributed 25–65% to the overall energy demand, while solar provided 8–30%.

Can solar PV be used in the wastewater sector?

This work informs the broader community on the status of adoption of solar PV in the wastewater sector. Energy utilities could benefit from knowing how the energy demand and consumption of the wastewater sector as a whole is changing as a result of the adoption of this renewable energy technology.

Is solar a success at wastewater treatment plants?

Because solar adoption at wastewater treatment plants is still relatively new, there is little known about these facilities, including where they are, what drove them to choose solar, and if solar has been a success. A team of researchers looks to fill in those gaps with a new project.