Global advancement of solar photovoltaic thermal technologies integrated with membrane distillation systems: a comprehensive review

Abstract

Energy is crucial to progress toward development, modernization, and economic prosperity. Energy and water are both crucial to human survival and play significant roles in the growth and development of society. The need for desalination has risen significantly as freshwater environments have declined. Membrane distillation can be used to successfully purify highly brackish water. The high energy needs of membrane distillation processes can be handled by low-grade heat sources such as solar photovoltaic thermal. In this paper, analyzing the several types of solar thermal sources, and exploring how the membrane distillation process could be configured to optimize performance on minimizing costs. This study also considered the various applications of this technology, its potential benefits, and the challenges that needs to be overcome for it to be successful. Finally, using solar photovoltaic thermal-based membrane distillation systems, to explore the membrane distillation existing implementation, as well as the challenges and potential benefits associated with it are reviewed. In this review article, both the benefits and drawbacks of desalinating water throughout the world using solar energy are analysed and a comprehensive overview of solar desalination technologies has been developed in recent years. Also, the most significant initiatives in solar desalination, including its economic and environmental impacts are reviewed in this paper.