Ambient energy for low-cost water desalination

The papers presents the results of a feasibility study to assess the potential of ambient energy in producing low-cost desalinated water. The proposed method uses conventional off-the-shelf desalination equipment linked up to an innovative energy harvesting system made of extruded aluminium planks which form part of the building and which is able to provide low-cost energy for the desalination process. The most common energy collection system forms an engineered roof of a building. Water is pumped through this roof to collect solar and ambient energy that can then be used for a variety of applications. Results from an EC-funded feasibility study to assess the potential of using ambient energy to produce fresh water from seawater are presented here. It is felt that the technology offers good potential for water desalination in arid and semi-arid regions of the world where there is an abundance of solar and ambient energy.