ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a preliminary perspective on solar energy applied to water reclamation efforts in the modern context. Water and energy are inexorably linked. The hydrologie cycle that produces our fresh water and weather is driven by solar energy. Water is required for the production of energy. Water reclamation efforts are often energy intensive, requiring both electrical and thermal energy. Although many solar power technologies have been around for centuries, the last decade has seen tremendous advances in our ability to produce electricity and high quality thermal energy from solar energy. The solar salt-gradient pond, or solar pond, has the unique advantage of utilizing a water problem to provide energy needed for water reclamation efforts. The solar still employs simple, low-temperature solar thermal techniques to mimic the natural hydrologie cycle and to extract fresh water from saline or brackish water. Water reclamation and toxic-waste destruction to protect our water supplies is fast becoming a priority of national and international concern.
