Energy Storage for Water Desalination Systems Based on Renewable Energy Resources

Recently, water desalination (WD) has been required for the supply of drinking water in a number of countries. Various technologies of WD utilize considerable thermal and/or electrical energies for removing undesirable salts. Desalination systems now rely on renewable energy resources (RERs) such as geothermal, solar, tidal, wind power, etc. The intermittent nature and changeable intensity constrain the wide applications of renewable energy, so the combination of energy storage systems (ESSs) with WD in many locations has been introduced. Thermal energy storage (TES) needs a convenient medium for storing and hence reuses energy. The present work provides a good background on the methods and technologies of WD. Furthermore, the concepts of both thermal and electrical energy storage are presented. In addition, a detailed review of employing ESSs in various WD processes driven by RERs is presented. The integration of energy storage with water desalination systems (WDSs) based on renewable energy has a much better capability, economically and environmentally, compared with conventional desalination systems. The ESSs are required to guarantee a constant supply of fresh water over the day.

Automated summary

Recently, water desalination has become crucial for supplying drinking water in many countries. Desalination systems now rely on renewable energy resources such as geothermal, solar, tidal, and wind power. However, the intermittent nature and changeable intensity of renewable energy have limited their wide applications, leading to the introduction of energy storage systems in the desalination process. This work provides a comprehensive review of desalination methods and technologies, as well as the concepts of both thermal and electrical energy storage. The integration of energy storage with water desalination systems based on renewable energy offers better economic and environmental performance compared to conventional desalination systems, ensuring a constant supply of fresh water throughout the day.