The levelized cost of water (LCOW or LCW) is the "cost per unit volume of product water produced by a water treatment process or service". It is a measure of efficiency, with lower values representing more efficient methods. LCW can refer to drinking water for human consumption or water for irrigation.[1] The LCW varies with the method used to produce drinking water. Desalination, which produces usable water from saline water, has a higher LCW than processing groundwater or surface water. A 2020 study found that advances in decarbonization would reduce the levelized cost of water produced via desalination from €2.4 per cubic meter in 2015 (US$2.84) to €1.05 per cubic meter in 2050 (US$1.24).[2] LCW of desalination also depends on the amount of saline that needs to be removed from water: The United States Department of Energy's 2018 grant guidelines suggested a target of $1.50/m3 for solar-thermal desalination of high-salinity water and a target of $0.50/m3 for low-salinity water such as sea water.[3]
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editReferences
edit- ^ Amrose, Susan E.; Cherukumilli, Katya; Wright, Natasha C. (2020). "Chemical Contamination of Drinking Water in Resource-Constrained Settings: Global Prevalence and Piloted Mitigation Strategies". Annual Review of Environment and Resources. 45: 195–226. doi:10.1146/annurev-environ-012220-105152.
- ^ Caldera, Upeksha; Breyer, Christian (2020). "Strengthening the global water supply through a decarbonised global desalination sector and improved irrigation systems". Energy. 200: 117507. doi:10.1016/j.energy.2020.117507.
- ^ "Department of Energy Announces $21 Million to Advance Solar Desalination Technologies". Energy.gov. 19 June 2018. Retrieved 30 March 2021.