Policy dialogue for the promotion of energy efficiency, system integration and demand response

 

Renewable energy resources, potential for improvements in energy efficiency, and grid service opportunities vary depending on the location, but there are many opportunities to meet the energy requirements of desalination processes with renewable energy or other clean energy technologies (e.g., waste heat) and through efficiency improvements. There are also opportunities to leverage desalinization systems to provide grid services, such as demand response. Despite this potential, up-to-date information on best practices, opportunities, and lessons learned are not readily available for policymakers.

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Proposed activities

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Work stream 2 (WS2) proposes options for both medium and high levels of commitment, depending on the level of in-kind engagement and resources.  The GCWDA delivers through WS2 knowledge products resulting from workshops and other means of collaboration. Such products would  provide information about the most energy efficient existing technologies and best practices for desalination and explore opportunities for identifying synergistic opportunities between renewable energy technologies and desalination. For example:

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• Survey of existing desalination facilities
   

• Analysis of existing desalination technologies
   

• Region- or country-level analysis for potential of clean energy-powered desalination
   

• Desalination deployment and policy lessons learned 
   

• Identification of synergistic opportunities for renewable energy and desalination

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Definition and implementation of these activities is undertaken by GCWDA work stream 2 under the leadership of the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).