# The Synergy of Renewable Energy and Desalination:
## 3 Application of Renewable Energy Sources in Desalination
### Wind Energy  
Another clean and renewable energy source is wind energy. With commercial turbines available for a wide range of nominal power, it is a well-established RES for power generation. A typical application of wind energy for RO desalination plants is shown in Figure 5. Wind turbines can provide desalination facilities with electricity [53]. The first wind-powered saltwater desalination system in Europe was opened in France more than forty years ago, in 1982. It used a 4 kW wind turbine to power reverse osmosis equipment with a 0.5 m\({}^{3}\)/h capacity [54].  
It is possible to classify wind power-driven desalination plants into several main categories. In [55], the authors classified them into two different categories. Systems that connect wind farms and desalination plants with the traditional power grid made up the first group, whilst freestanding microgrids (MG) or small-scale distribution networks that function separately from the traditional grid made up the second group. There were two subcategories within the first group:  
Figure 4: Solar PV-powered pumping system, where z1 and z2 are elevations of the reservoirs in meters.  
Figure 5: A layout of desalination RO plant powered by wind turbines.  
* Systems in which the desalination plant acts as an extra load for the traditional electrical system, and all of the energy produced by wind turbines is immediately fed into the grid.
* Linked MGs in which the desalination plant is mostly powered directly by the energy produced by RES linked in parallel to a traditional grid. Any excess energy is transferred into the traditional grid, and the traditional system fills in any energy gaps. For the second group:
* Independent microgrids in which an energy storage system is used and the desalination facility has a direct connection to the wind power generation system.
* Standalone MGs without an energy storage system in which the desalination plant is directly connected to the wind power generation system.
* Standalone MGs that use ESS.  
In [56], the authors showed that producing the precise hourly water demand in the face of operational constraints, disruptions, and wind power intermittency was the goal of control. The operational number of RO vessels and the RO feed pressure were the factors that were being changed. Under normal circumstances and while the plant was experiencing disturbances, the control system assisted in reducing the yearly water deficit by 20 percent. Furthermore, while the facility was operating with less active windmills and RO vessels, the control system was able to reduce the annual water shortage by 73 percent.  
The impact of the primary factors on the levelized cost of desalinated water was examined in [57]. These factors included plant capacity, operating conditions, design arrangement, wind turbine nominal power, salt concentration of brackish or saltwater, climatic conditions, reverse osmosis module costs, and wind turbine costs. The authors also investigated how competitive wind energy performed in comparison to traditional energy in reverse osmosis units. These findings are helpful for system design, assessing the technology's economic prospects, and quantifying the impact of the parameter under study.  
In [58], the authors studied how to use only standalone wind turbines to power the water desalination plant in the Canary Islands. This island is already on the verge of being entirely renewable energy-powered, mostly because of a wind power plant that provided around 60% of the island's yearly electricity needs in 2018. Groundwater extraction, saltwater desalination, water pumping, and distribution are all part of the island's water cycle, accounting for about 35% of its yearly electricity use. The goal of the study was to look into the feasibility of using excess wind energy to power the complete water cycle. Two scenarios have been devised and taken into consideration: one is based on the current decentralized water cycle, and the second one on a system of centralized water storage.