Chapter 11 - Renewable energy-driven desalination for more water and less carbon

Abstract

Energy, water and environment nexus is the backbone of sustainable future. Addressing these three nexus elements is a need of the time in concern with increasing threat of water scarcity, fuel depletion and CO2 emissions. Renewable energy (RE) resources are being integrated to power infrastructure. Similarly the process adopted to satisfy the drinkable water demand called desalination is needed to be driven by RE resources. This chapter starts with highlighting the importance and types of desalination. The global status of desalination technology in terms of installed capacity and research trends to make the systems more efficient is elaborated. The importance of energy, especially RE resources for desalination technology and desalination techniques driven by different RE resources are elaborated. Discussion is concluded with increased brine production associated with more drinkable produced water and reduced environmental emission due to the integration of RE resources with desalination techniques.