A Comprehensive Review of Solar-Assisted Hybrid Thermal–RO–UV Desalination Systems for Sustainable Potable Water Production

Global freshwater scarcity is intensifying due to population growth, climate variability, and increasing industrial demand. Conventional desalination technologies, including thermal distillation and reverse osmosis (RO), are effective but constrained by high energy consumption, membrane fouling, and environmental concerns. Solar-assisted hybrid desalination systems integrating thermal processes, RO, and ultraviolet (UV) disinfection have emerged as promising solutions for sustainable and decentralized potable water production. This paper presents a comprehensive review of Solar-Assisted Hybrid Thermal–RO–UV desalination systems, focusing on system integration strategies, thermodynamic performance, and water quality enhancement. Solar-driven thermal desalination reduces salinity loading on RO membranes, improving recovery ratio and minimizing fouling. RO provides high salt rejection, while UV ensures chemical-free microbial inactivation. Performance indicators including distillate yield, permeate flux, recovery ratio, salt rejection efficiency, and specific energy consumption are critically analyzed. Key research gaps related to energy optimization, system integration, and scalability are identified. Hybrid Solar Thermal–RO–UV systems demonstrate strong potential for energy-efficient, off-grid freshwater production in coastal and water-stressed regions.