Rain Water Harvesting System for Solar Power Plants (PV)

– A Case Study

Rams Thalluri Sneha Shenoy

TC-3, Tower-A TC-3, Tower-A
3rd Floor, C-Wing 3rd Floor, C-Wing
L&T Construction L&T Construction
Mount Poonamallee Road Mount Poonamallee Road
Manapakkam Manapakkam
P.B. No. 979 P.B. No. 979
Chennai – 600 089 Chennai – 600 089
Tamilnadu, India. Tamilnadu, India.
trams@lntecc.com snehas@lntecc.com

Keywords - Rainwater Harvesting; groundwater; Solar Modules; water demand; self-

sustainable; surface drains; surface runoff; reservoir; precipitation; Module cleaning; Solar
radiation; Drain network; Catchment; Desert; Surface Slope.

1) Abstract - Solar power plant project sites are located in High Solar radiation Zones which are
often located in dry areas (deserts) or in remote places where the accessibility of water is less. In
Rajasthan-India, where the average rainfall is even less than 130 mm, it becomes very essential
to effectively collect and store the rain water for Plant usage.

The Solar Modules are vital components to generate Solar Power, hence its surface needs to be
always maintained clean, else the Power generation is compromised due to Soiling losses. Since
the Plant design life is usually 25 years, it becomes an essential aspect to clean the Modules on a
regular Basis.

Rather than depending on external scant water source in desert areas, it is an excellent idea to
make the Plant self-sustainable by setting up a water Reservoir as per the Plant requirements
such that it will act like a Rain water harvesting unit. The Reservoir stores the water from
Precipitation as well as surface runoff from the Plant area (facilitated by Network of surface
drains which collects and drains the surface runoff water into the reservoir).

The Solar plant presently considered for case study is located in Phalodi, Rajasthan and receives
an average rainfall of approximately 415.8mm (Average rainfall for 2010 considered). It is
designed to have Plant capacity of 17MW and is spread over 89 Acres area. There are 82720
Nos. Solar Modules (1.65m x 0.99m) involved which requires Cleaning once in 15 days and
each Cleaning cycle requires minimum of 125 m3 Water.

A Surface drainage network is designed which runs for a total length of about 4183 m across the
Solar plant. The Reservoir designed, has a water carrying capacity of 2500 m 3 approximately,
 which can cater to water requirements of plant for module cleaning purposes up to 9 months in a
stretch.

Due to self-sustainability of the plant, Cost involved in importing water from distant sources is
saved. This also saves the transportation costs (since the site is in a remote place as mentioned
earlier) and efforts involved in this process.
Prevents flooding and erosion of low lying areas adjacent to the plant during peak rains by
Storage in reservoir.

2) Background – Solar power is the conversion of sunlight into electricity, either directly
using photovoltaic (PV) or indirectly using Concentrated Solar power (CSP).

Solar energy technologies provide significant environmental benefits when compared to the
conventional energy sources, contributing to the sustainable development. The use of Solar
power has many positive environmental implications.
Solar photovoltaic power offers a viable alternative to fossil fuels for its cleanliness and
abundant supply.
A photovoltaic system (informally, PV system) is an arrangement of components designed to
supply usable electric power for a variety of purposes, using the Sun as the power source.
A photovoltaic array (also called a solar array) consists of multiple photovoltaic modules,
casually referred to as solar panels, to convert solar radiation (sunlight) into usable direct current
(DC) electricity.

However, dust on Solar panels can decrease their efficiency.

Hence Solar array managers try to maintain the panels always clean since maintaining a clean
module surface will increase output performance over the life of the module.
The Modules need to be in their cleanest form when the Panels are operating at maximum
efficiency in the long days of spring and summer. Unfortunately, that’s when demand for water
is the highest.

It becomes a very essential factor when we attach the green label to a project that the project is
actually green and does not utilize much of the finite sources.
However, the sites that are most attractive for solar plants are some of the hottest and driest parts
of the country (In India, sun rich areas like Rajasthan or Gujarat are already water scarce).
There is indeed an apparent conflict between Solar resource mapping and water availability in
arid areas.
Hence it becomes a challenge to select the technology that does not require much of the finite
sources (mostly water here), hence otherwise the technology wouldn’t be renewable.

It is all these factors that have contributed towards a thinking of making the Plant self-
sustainable and truly Green, which has led towards the idea of Water Harvesting in the Plant.
3) Case Study –
3.1) Project Description –

Fig 1: Plant location

Fig 2: Plant Arial view after execution

 Table 1: Project Description
Sl. No. Description Quantity
1 Plant Capacity 20.15 MWp (DC)/17 MW (AC)
2 Project Duration 4 Months
3 Extent of area 89 ACRES
4 Number of Levelling/Grading Blocks 7 Nos.
5 Number of Modules 82720 Numbers (1.65x0.99m each).
6 Frequency of Module Cleaning Once in 15 days.
7 Water requirement for each Cleaning Cycle 125m3

3.2) Rain water Harvesting system Design –

a) Rainfall data collection and study – Based on the rainfall data for a period of at least 30
years, the maximum average rainfall is considered. The present Plant is situated in
Rajasthan and receives an average rainfall of approximately 416 mm. With this as a base,
the Reservoir and the Drain for the Plant has been designed.

Table 2: Historical average rainfall data in India

Type of Rainfall
Areas of very little rainfall
(lower than 50 cm):
Areas of low precipitation
(50-100 cm):
Areas of comparatively
heavy rainfall
(100-200 cm):
Areas of heavy rainfall
(more than 200 cm):
Areas
Western Rajasthan, northern part of Kashmir, the Deccan
Plateau and Punjab.
Eastern Rajasthan, Upper Ganga basin, Southern plains of
Karnataka, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh.
Southern areas of Gujarat, north-eastern Peninsular region,
east Tamil Nadu, eastern Maharashtra, Western Ghats,
Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, and the central Gangetic basin.
The western seashores, the Western Ghats, Hills of
Meghalaya, and the Sub-Himalayan range territories in
North East. West Bengal, Assam, Western Coast, and
southern part of east Himalayas.

The rainfall data for the Plant area is as follows –

Table 3: Rainfall data for the Plant region
Name of Normal 2008 2009 Revised 2010 Revised 2011 2012
the Station (1941-90) Normal Normal
(mm) (mm) (mm)
Actual Actual Actual Actual Actual
(mm) (mm) (mm) (mm) (mm)
Jodhpur 287.7 298.2 127.7 292.2 415.8 274.5 378.9 334.2

b) Drain system and network design

I. Contour map Study - The best practical method of presenting topography is by means of
contour maps. With the study of Contours, quantities of earthwork and runoff from an area
 can be computed. Contours can also be used to determine area of the catchments and the
capacity of the reservoir.
Once the Site survey data have been received from site, the contour maps are prepared.

Fig 3: Contour drawing for the Overall Plant area

II. Levelling / grading design – Levelling and Grading is a process of Soil cutting /filling to
obtain required surface slope for free movement of Surface runoff.
With the understanding on the land topography through the Contour maps, the Leveling and
grading design is accordingly developed. There are perhaps two important points to be
considered in this process –
 To design considering an optimum slope for runoff, so that maximum water can be
drained out from the plant onto the Reservoir and
 To provide an optimal cutting and filling solution so that minimal earth work is
achieved.
The Grading and levelling design is done using software such as AutoCAD Civil 3D,
which gives earthwork volumes processing earth volumes between the existing and
proposed surfaces. The software facilitates in design iterations for optimum earthwork, so
that the best decision can be taken based on the cost and other factors.
Based on the best option the plant is divided into several levelling and grading blocks.
 Plant area with Natural topography

Plant area after Levelling and Grading

Fig 4: Plant slope designed in AUTO CAD Civil 3D

III. Drain layout planning – Design of an effective Drain layout is vital when it is being
designed in the point of view for water harvesting. Understanding the existing drainage
patterns, expected flows, soil, vegetation along with the Site topography, rainfall is
essential for planning the drain layout.
Using Auto CAD Civil 3D software, the topographical contouring is studied and modified
for levelling and grading to ensure a uni-directional flow. The Drain outfall point of the
individual drain networks is interlinked such that water is ultimately drained off to the
Reservoir. Hence there are 2 outlet points basically to drain out water from the plant,
eastward and westward Side.
Diff. colors for different Drain networks have been given in Fig. 5.
 Surface runoff pattern before Levelling and Grading

Surface runoff pattern after Levelling and Grading

Fig 4: Optimal Plant slope designed in AUTO CAD Civil 3D

 Fig 5: Drain Network Layout for the Plant

IV. Drain c/s design – Considering the drain catchment area for each levelling and grading
Block, the annual precipitation, minimum velocity and depth of flow and amount of
discharge, the Cross section of the Drain is designed.

Table 4: Drain Cross section and design Details

Sl. No. Description Quantity
1 Rainfall Intensity 46.2 mm/hr (for 3 hours peak)
2 Number of drain networks 6 Nos.
3 Type of Drain Trapezoidal
4 Side Slope of drain 1 in 1.5
5 Drain Depth Varies from min. 300mm to 1200mm.
6 Perimeter Varies from 1 m to 3.5m
7 Catchment area Varies from 500m2 to 27800m2
8 Velocity of flow Between 0.45m/sec (min.) and 1.5m/sec (max.)
9 Discharge Lesser than 0.424 cumecs (Possible Discharge)
 Fig 6: Drain Network throughout the Plant

Fig 7: Drain at road Crossings and Bends.

c) Water Reservoir design – The Reservoir is the principal component of the water
Harvesting system.
I) Location - Based on the elevation derived from the levelling and grading Design, the
Reservoir is placed in the low lying area of the Plant, to achieve natural outfall of water
from the catchment area of the Plant. The two Outlets of drains from the whole Plant
area is connected with the Reservoir inlet chambers and hence water is drained off into
the Reservoir.
 RESERVOIR
LOCATION

Fig 8: Reservoir Location for the Plant

II) Capacity – The Reservoir capacity has been designed primarily to fulfil the water
demand for Cleaning of the Modules, considering each Module consumes 1.5 lts. of
water and the Cleaning cycle is once in 15 days.
The Reservoir is designed considering that it will get filled up once in 4 months by
rainwater.

Table 5: Reservoir Description

Sl. No. Description Quantity
1 Reservoir Shape Triangular
2 Reservoir Dimensions 44.35 x 36 x 43.5m
3 Reservoir Depth 2.3m
4 Side Slope 1:1.5
5 Reservoir Capacity 2535 m3
 43.5 m

44.35 m

36 m

Fig 9: Reservoir plan showing Inlets and Outlet

Fig 10: Reservoir during Construction

 Fig 11: Reservoir with rain water after plant execution

III) Outlet – Water from the Reservoir is pumped out to the Raw Water tank of the RO Plant,
to be treated before the water becomes suitable for Module cleaning process.

IV) Overflow - In case of water exceeding the tank capacity for example in case of heavy
rains, an Overflow drain is designed on the outward side of the plant which acts as an
Outlet to let the water out of the Plant.

Fig 12: Reservoir with Overflow drain outlet

d) Module Cleaning system –
I) RO Plant – To obtain water quality as per Module manufacturer’s specification,
Reverse Osmosis Plant is setup in the Plant area.
Water pumped from the Reservoir is collected onto a raw water tank, water from the
raw water tank is the input to the RO Plant, once water is purified to Module
manufacturer’s specifications, the treated water goes onto a Treated water tank,
wherein it is then used for Module cleaning purpose.
Based on the Plant area and the requirements, two treated water tanks at 2 convenient
places are used.

II) Design – Based on total amount of water requird, the Treated water tanks for Module
cleaning are designed.

Table 6: Details for Module Cleaning System

Sl. No. Description Quantity
1 Number of Modules 82728 Nos.
2 Water requirements for a Single Module 1.5 lts.
3 Total Volume for one Cleaning Cycle 125 m3
4 Size of Treated water tank 3.5 x 2.5 x 2 m
 Fig 13: Module cleaning System

The Raw water tank has got 2 Inlets – one from the Reservoir and one from the Bore
well. Hence in extreme cases when water is not available in the Reservoir, the raw
water tank draws water from the Bore well.

Fig 14: Inlet to RO Plant from Reservoir and Bore well

 Once the water has been treated as per the Module manufacturer’s specifications, the
treated water from the tanks are drawn onto the Mobile tankers and the modules thus
cleaned.

Fig 15: Module cleaning process

4) Benefits/ Advantages – Rainwater is free, the only cost is for collection and use. Due to RWH
we are indirectly reducing the Demand on Ground water, which otherwise is already water
scarce.
Due to self-sustainability of the plant, Cost involved in importing water from nearby sources is
saved. This also saves the transportation costs (since the site is in a remote place as mentioned
earlier) and efforts involved in this process.
Prevents flooding and Soil erosion of low lying areas adjacent to the plant during peak rains by
Storage in reservoir.

5) Scope for further studies –

Rain water harvesting for Storm water drain can be given in buildings such that even
the building becomes self –sustainable.
Providing rigorously planned network such that losses due to infiltration is
eliminated as much as possible.
Re charging ground water table by establishing pits.

6) References –
a) http://waterresources.rajasthan.gov.in/Monsoon 20 Report 202011/Annexures.pdf.
b) P.N Khanna, Indian Practical Engineers handbook.
c) IS 10430-1982 – Criteria for Design of Lined canals and Guidelines of type of lining.
d) IS 8835-1978 – Guidelines for planning and Design of surface drains.
e) IRC: SP: 50:1999 – Guidelines of Urban drainage.
f) IS 3370 (part 4)-1967 – Code of practice for Concrete Structures for the storage of Liquids.
g) http://courses.washington.edu/cive316/labs/Civil3D/ACAD_Points_Manual.pdf