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PhD Thesis - Energy Systems Research Unit - University of Strathclyde

PhD Thesis - Energy Systems Research Unit - University of Strathclyde

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9.2.1 Desalination Plant and Clean Water Demand<br />

The demand for clean drinking water could also be considered in MERIT as,<br />

although it is not an energy demand, desalination plant are being increasingly<br />

used as a useful outlet for excess electricity from intermittent renewable or other<br />

supplies, especially on islands where clean drinking water is scarce and there is<br />

an abundant supply <strong>of</strong> sea water [1,2]. The inclusion <strong>of</strong> clean water demand and<br />

desalination plant definition would allow the sizing <strong>of</strong> desalination plant and<br />

water storage tanks, to ensure that the demand for clean drinking water can be<br />

met in areas where clean water supply is a significant problem. Also, for the<br />

fuel production technologies that require substantial amounts <strong>of</strong> water (e.g.<br />

fermentation, electrolysis), water demands could also be produced along with<br />

the energy demand pr<strong>of</strong>iles attached to these processes, where necessary, and<br />

added to the demands on matching in the same manner as the energy demand<br />

pr<strong>of</strong>iles.<br />

Excess electricity would be used to make clean water, and the amount being<br />

produced would be compared with the clean water demand. If extra water was<br />

available it would be added to a storage pr<strong>of</strong>ile similar to that for the derived<br />

fuel storage, if there was not enough to meet the demand the excess needed<br />

would be subtracted from the pr<strong>of</strong>ile. The option could be given to use all<br />

excess electricity to produce water, with unlimited storage (to allow the<br />

necessary storage tank size to be ascertained), or to use the excess electricity to<br />

keep a certain size <strong>of</strong> tank full if possible. The stored contents and new<br />

production would be used to meet demand where possible.<br />

9.2.2 Further Demand Development<br />

To allow the analysis <strong>of</strong> demand sets that include industrial processes, it would<br />

be useful to be able to specify demands for process steam (or high-grade heat<br />

and low-grade heat), and mechanical work. This would be particularly useful in<br />

the analysis <strong>of</strong> buildings or communities where excess heat from CHP<br />

generation is to be used for a particular industrial process, or where the analysis<br />

<strong>of</strong> energy use in integrated industrial processes and buildings is being<br />

268

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