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The Energy-Water Nexus: An Analysis and Comparison of Various Configurations Integrating Desalination with Renewable Power

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  • Gary M. Gold

    (The University of Texas at Austin, 204 E. Dean Keeton Street, Stop C2200, Austin, TX 78712, USA)

  • Michael E. Webber

    (The University of Texas at Austin, 204 E. Dean Keeton Street, Stop C2200, Austin, TX 78712, USA)

Abstract

This investigation studies desalination powered by wind and solar energy, including a study of a configuration using PVT solar panels. First, a water treatment was developed to estimate the power requirement for brackish groundwater reverse-osmosis (BWRO) desalination. Next, an energy model was designed to (1) size a wind farm based on this power requirement and (2) size a solar farm to preheat water before reverse osmosis treatment. Finally, an integrated model was developed that combines results from the water treatment and energy models. The integrated model optimizes performances of the proposed facility to maximize daily operational profits. Results indicate that integrated facility can reduce grid-purchased electricity costs by 88% during summer months and 89% during winter when compared to a stand-alone desalination plant. Additionally, the model suggests that the integrated configuration can generate $574 during summer and $252 during winter from sales of wind- and solar-generated electricity to supplement revenue from water production. These results indicate that an integrated facility combining desalination, wind power, and solar power can potentially reduce reliance on grid-purchased electricity and advance the use of renewable power.

Suggested Citation

  • Gary M. Gold & Michael E. Webber, 2015. "The Energy-Water Nexus: An Analysis and Comparison of Various Configurations Integrating Desalination with Renewable Power," Resources, MDPI, vol. 4(2), pages 1-50, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jresou:v:4:y:2015:i:2:p:227-276:d:48780
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gude, Veera Gnaneswar, 2015. "Energy storage for desalination processes powered by renewable energy and waste heat sources," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 877-898.
    2. Chow, T.T., 2010. "A review on photovoltaic/thermal hybrid solar technology," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 87(2), pages 365-379, February.
    3. Skoplaki, E. & Palyvos, J.A., 2009. "Operating temperature of photovoltaic modules: A survey of pertinent correlations," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 34(1), pages 23-29.
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    Cited by:

    1. Catherine I. Birney & Michael C. Jones & Michael E. Webber, 2019. "A Spatially Resolved Thermodynamic Assessment of Geothermal Powered Multi-Effect Brackish Water Distillation in Texas," Resources, MDPI, vol. 8(2), pages 1-20, April.
    2. John Luczaj, 2016. "Groundwater Quantity and Quality," Resources, MDPI, vol. 5(1), pages 1-4, February.
    3. Ram Avtar & Saurabh Tripathi & Ashwani Kumar Aggarwal & Pankaj Kumar, 2019. "Population–Urbanization–Energy Nexus: A Review," Resources, MDPI, vol. 8(3), pages 1-21, July.

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