100% renewables means 95% less water consumption for conventional power generation

According to a new study by Finland’s LUT University, solar PV consumes between 2% and 15% of the water that coal and nuclear power plants use to produce just 1 MWh of output; for wind, this percentage ranges from 0.1% to 14%. Under the researchers’ best policy scenario, water consumption could be reduced by 75.1% by 2030, compared to 2015 levels.

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From pv magazine International

A global energy system based on a 100% share of renewable energy would be cleaner, cheaper and better equipped to fight climate change, but it would also help reduce water consumption from conventional power generation by more than 95%.

This is the main conclusion of new a new study that was recently published in Nature Energy. The research team behind the study includes Christian Breyer, professor of solar economy at Finland’s Lappeenranta University of Technology.

According to Breyer and his colleagues, solar PV withdraws and consumes between 2% and 15% of the water that coal and nuclear power plants use to produce just 1 MWh, while for wind this percentage ranges from 0.1% and 14%.

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