Photovoltaic energy - Application to drinking water and wastewater treatment in rural areas. FNDAE no. 12, Technical Document, 2003 reissue

To treat the drinking water and the waste water are essential tasks of rural districts. The difficulties of these communities to achieve these tasks are essentially due to two problems: how to find solutions of treatment adapted to their needs, how to resolve the problem of energy supply of the sites of treatment. This document gives some answers to these two questions: - On one hand, it presents the technical solutions of treatment of drinking water (chlorination, UV treatment) and of waste water (bacterial beds, biologic filters, natural lagoon). For each of these techniques, the principle is described and the energy needs are estimated. - On the other hand, it describes in which conditions the photovoltaic solar energy may supply the energy necessary for the working of these systems. After an inquiry which allowed listing various sites where the photovoltaic solar energy is applied, a chapter recapitulates the necessary technical data for the application of this energy. The elements of a photovoltaic generator are described, a sizing method is explained, elements of costs and comparison with other energies are presented. Finally a series of technical notes presents the application of the photovoltaic solar energy to several water treatments. (authors)