Review of solar-enabled desalination and implications for zero-liquid-discharge applications

Production of fresh water from desalination of the abundant saline water on the planet is increasingly considered as a climate change adoption measure. Yet, there are challenges associated with the cost and environmental impact of desalination. Effective integration of solar energy generation and freshwater production can address both issues. This review article highlights recent key advances in such integration achieved in a joint-research university-national laboratory partnership under the auspices of the United States Department of Energy (DOE) and parallel efforts world-wide. First, an overview of current and emerging desalination technologies and associated pretreatment and brine management technologies that together can result in zero-liquid-discharge (ZLD) systems is presented and their technological readiness levels are evaluated. Then advanced modeling techniques and new software platforms that enable optimization of solar-desalination applications with the dual objective of cost and environmental impact minimization are discussed.