Desalination of underground brackish waters using an electrodialysis system powered directly by photovoltaic energy

The aims of this paper are: to demonstrate the feasibility of the desalination of brackish water from aquifers (total dissolved solids=2300–5100 g m−3) by means of an electrodialysis system powered directly by photovoltaic solar panels, and improve the mathematical model developed in a previous work in order to apply it to real brackish waters. The application of this model allows to predict the behaviour of the electrodialysis–photovoltaic system under different operational and meteorological conditions, and the time required to reach a given final concentration. Finally, the cost of electrodialysis–photovoltaic systems for small applications in isolated locations with lack of electric grid has been estimated.