Optimal technical and economic configuration of photovoltaic powered reverse osmosis desalination systems operating in autonomous mode

Abstract

Abstract Renewable energy driven desalination has been proven to be a sustainable, economic and environmental friendly solution for the water deficiency problems in remote areas. However, one of the most important issues is the determination of the optimal configuration so that the system meets the water load at the minimum cost. In this paper, five different configurations of a sea water desalination system powered by photovoltaics were examined at autonomous mode. Αn island in Cyclades, Aegean sea, Greece, was used as a typical case study for the installation of such systems. Then, a comparison among the different configurations was realized in order to determine the optimum technical and economic system, by minimizing the total system installation and operation cost for 20\u202fyears lifetime, which then compared in economic terms with the water transportation practice. The present study shows that the application of a photovoltaic powered seawater reverse osmosis desalination unit that incorporates water storage, a small capacity battery bank and an energy management system, is technically feasible to produce fresh water. According to the optimal sizing results, the implementation of an energy management system designed on the basis of Fuzzy Cognitive Maps presents the lowest cost and lowest power losses.