If we don’t want to run out of water, we should look to the sun
Next generation solar technology could drive down the cost of scrubbing salt from seawater.
By Jeremy Deaton Nexus Media June 29, 2018
From salty to fresh, new research seeks to drive down the cost of solar thermal desalination.
A winter of exceptionally meager snowfall has revived California’s water woes. Snowpack typically supplies the state with much of its water during the spring and summer, but this year, snow is in short supply, spurring Gov. Jerry Brown to instate permanent conservation measures. Thanks to climate change, the problem is only going to get worse, leaving officials worried about the future of water in the Golden State.
Huntington Beach, a seaside Southern California city, is taking the long view, investing in a new desalination plant that will turn seawater into clean, drinkable H20. While the plant’s supporters say it’s necessary to guard against worsening water shortages, critics say the plant is a waste of ratepayer money, urging officials to manage water more efficiently instead. As temperatures rise and droughts worsen, this conflict is likely to play out in more and more coastal cities.
https://www.popsci.com/thermal-water-desalination
