Design and techno-economic evaluation of utility-scale agrivoltaics integrated with wastewater reuse for water-energy-food nexus in arid regions

The growing interdependence of energy, water, and food systems, intensified by climate change, requires integrated and resource-efficient solutions, particularly in arid regions facing severe water scarcity. Wastewater treatment plants(WWTPs) are among the most energy-intensive urban infrastructures, making them suitable candidates for agrivoltaic integration. This research offers an extensive techno-economic evaluation of a scalable agrivoltaic system to tackle this issue by supplying energy to Wastewater Treatment Plant. Specifically, the study addresses the high energy intensity of wastewater treatment processes and the competing demands for land and water in arid regions. The suggested system uniquely combines generating renewable energy with wastewater for agricultural irrigation, providing a self-sustaining energy-water-food nexus. Three system capacities (3.75 MW, 7.5 MW, and 15 MW) were modeled using the professional modeling program PVsyst to meet 25%, 50%, and 100% of the plant's electricity needs, respectively. The results show that the project is technically possible and economically sound. The systems had high performance ratios (PR>0.84) and yearly energy outputs of up to 23,518,929 kWh; however, they also lost between 15.3% and 17.6% of their energy. The economic research showed a good financial picture, with a Net Present Value (NPV) of up to $16.1 - $57.3 million and short payback times of 3.5 to 3.8 years. These results confirm the agrivoltaic model as a viable and economically feasible approach for extensive infrastructure initiatives in arid climates, providing a replicable framework for reducing environmental effects and improving resource security in analogous areas globally.