The pond was reconstructed with a geosynthetic clay liner system and operations resumed in the spring of 1995. There are several other demonstration projects in the United States. A Miamisburg, Ohio operation uses a salt gradient pond to heat a recreational building and swimming pool. The Tennessee Valley Authority built several shallow solar ponds for various purposes, and has assisted others with similar projects. Feasibility Solar ponds can only be economically constructed if there is an abundance of inexpensive salt, flat land, and easy access to water.
Environmental factors are also important.
An example is preventing soil contamination from the brine in a solar pond. For these reasons, and because of the current availability of cheap fossil fuels, solar pond development has been limited in the United States. The greatest potential market for solar ponds in this country could be in the industrial process heat sectors. Bibliography For more information on solar ponds, consult the following publications. This bibliography was reviewed in October 2000.