Renewable energy technologies can make a major contribution to universal access to both energy and water in a sustainable way. In many regions of the world with energy poverty there are abundant renewable energy sources. In this review it is described how solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind energy have a huge potential to supply clean water, in particular in areas with no grid connection. Off-grid technologies can form a significant part of the solution, all the way from household level to village or community level. Small scale off-grid systems can provide not only lighting but also energy for pumping to gain access to water and to purify and re-use water. In rapidly growing peri-urban areas electric power grids may be available but need to be complemented with decentralized energy sources. Solar and wind can be part of a new kind of hybrid energy supplies. It is noted that there is a confluence of factors, such as greater urbanization, population increase, economic development that will determine the energy mix. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of clean water and energy for all are strongly related and will depend to a large extent on solar PV and wind.
Keywords: photovoltaic; renewable energy; water supply; water‐energy nexus; wind energy.
© 2017 The Authors. Published by WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.