DESIGN OF A STAND-ALONE PV - DESALINATION SYSTEM FOR RURAL-AREAS

This paper presents the work performed within the project ''INTERSUDME D-Pre-feasibility Study for the Integration of RES for Electricity Pro duction in South Mediterranean Countries'', of the European Commission 's JOULE Programme. The decentralized characteristics of renewable ene rgies may play a significant role for power supply in rural areas, wer e grid electricity is not available. One important application is the use of photovoltaics to drive desalination units in order to solve wat er scarcity problems. Energy and water signify two resources of outmos t importace for developing countries, mainly due to rapidly increasing population and the growing need for upgrading their standard of livin g to an acceptable one. PVs provide a viable means for decentralized e nergy and water production in arid areas, which also usually present a n abundant solar resource. In this basic engineering design of an auto nomous PV - Reverse Osmosis (RO) system able to cover potable and othe r water needs of a rural community in Marocco is presented. In order t o design the system, local conditions have been taken ub account. Amon g the basic design requirements were standardization of the design of such systems and the development of reliable systems with simplicity o f operation, procedures are presented. An economic analysis for the RO and the power supply system is also presented.