An overview of renewable energy technologies with a view to stand alone power generation and water provision

A brief overview is provided of renewable energy technologies suited to stand alone power generation; in practice this means wind turbines and photovoltaics (PV) as these can be used in diverse locations, and to a lesser extent micro-hydro which is more site specific and bio-energy although this last one may not be effective at the smaller scales mostly involved. The issues concerning the use of wind power and PV for desalination by reverse osmosis will be discussed.

Renewable energy supplies can make a major contribution to the quality of life in remote areas not connected to central electricity supply systems. Of course their potential is linked to the local renewable energy resources. Both wind and solar radiation are pervasive although the strength of the local resource will determine whether the installation of wind turbines and/or PV is sensible. Both technologies are now well developed and reliable, with International Standards guaranteeing that quality products are available. The power from wind and PV can be used to desalinate water where this is required, and this application provides an opportunity to match supply and demand, dispensing with potentially expensive and environmentally problematic battery storage. Acknowledgments The author would like to extend thanks to Vergnet, the French company who installed some of the first wind powered RO systems, for their support, and to Murray Thomson and Ph.D. students Zeina Rahal and Marcos Miranda when I was with CREST at Loughborough University, for teaching me much of what can be done to improve renewable energy powered desalination systems.