Coordinated operation for a resilient and green energy-water supply system: A co-optimization approach with flexible strategies

Sustainable operation of green renewable energy (RE)-powered reverse osmosis (RO) desalination (RE-RO) systems requires co-optimization and smart strategies to reduce costs, losses and enhance system flexibility. This study proposes a decentralized distribution system (DDS) that includes a coordinated multi-objective optimization model with smart strategies for efficient operation and planning of the RE-RO system. The DDS optimizes operation by incorporating demand-side water management (DSWM) and bidirectional regulation (BDR) in the distribution network to minimize operation and emission costs, maximize system resilience, and meet the required demand. Then, sustainable planning strategies are suggested to prioritize relevant technical factors and subfactors for improving the future operation of the DDS based on multi-criteria assessment. With proposed DDS integration, the RE-RO system achieved a 17.4 % reduction in operational costs, a 46.79 % decrease in CO₂ emissions, and a 70.96 % improvement in overall system resilience through effective management of water and energy surpluses and deficits. Among the operational planning strategies, the most critical criterion was DSWM-BDR based scheduling, representing 72.09 % of the strategic focus. Thus, the implementation of the proposed coordinated operating and planning strategies can significantly contribute to the development of a sustainable energy-water system, alleviate water scarcity, and facilitate climate change adaptation.