MULTIPLE EFFECT DISTILLATION OF SEAWATER WATER USING SOLAR ENERGY - THE CASE OF ABU DHABI SOLAR DESALINATION PLANT - Energy Research Developments: Tidal Energy, Energy Efficiency and Solar Energy - page 69

Figure 36. Effect of the number of effects and the cost of fuel on the resulting cost of water - max.
brine temp., T b = 90 o C (conventional MED plant capacity = 130 m 3 /day).
The difference between the cost of water of a solar MED plant ( c w1 ) and the
corresponding cost of a conventional MED plant ( c w2 ) is shown in figure 37 for a capacity of
130 m 3 /day and for different collector and fuel costs. It can be seen that for higher fuel costs
and lower collector costs the difference ( c w1 - c w2 ) is negative indicating that the cost of water
from a solar MED plant is cheaper than that of a conventional MED plant having the same
capacity.
Figure 37. Difference in cost of water between solar MED plant, cw1, and conventional MED plant,
cw2 , (cw1 - cw2) ,$/m 3.