Performance analysis of solar still with toner waste powder mixed with black paint and innovative data collection technique

Solar stills are a promising approach for converting saline or brackish water into potable water using solar energy; however, their adoption is often hindered by low productivity and the lack of reliable real-time monitoring. In this work, these challenges are addressed through two strategies: (i) the development of a cloud-based Internet of Things (IoT) system for remote monitoring and data acquisition and (ii) performance enhancement using toner waste powder (TWP) nanoparticles blended into black paint at 5 % and 10 % concentrations. The IoT platform enabled the continuous and accurate tracking of system parameters (basin/glass temperatures, solar irradiance, ambient conditions, and distillate yield, with automated alerts for low water levels), streamlining data analysis, and performance evaluation. Experimental results showed that toner waste powder coated solar still (TWPCSS) achieved higher basin (58.94 °C) and cover (51.06 °C) temperatures than the CSS (55.31 °C and 49.69 °C, respectively). At 10 % loading, the TWPCSS produced 0.885 kg/day versus 0.640 kg/day for CSS, a 38.28 % yield increase and 14.79 % increase compared to 5 % loading. Annual productivity increased from 192 to 265.5 kg/0.25 m². Economic analysis indicated a reduced payback period (4.05 vs. 4.30 months) and lower water cost (0.0160 vs. 0.0169 USD/L), while CO₂ mitigation improved 2.3-fold. These findings confirm that toner waste nanoparticles act as cost-free, sustainable photothermal coatings capable of rivaling engineered nanomaterials, while the IoT framework ensures robust, high-resolution performance monitoring. Together, they established a scalable pathway for affordable, decentralized desalination that simultaneously advances water security, e-waste recycling, and climate mitigation.