The Relationship Between Clean Energy and Water Desalination: A Comprehensive Review of Solar Desalination—Current Trends and Future Outlook

ABSTRACT With many challenges casting a shadow on the amount of fresh water available for human use. It has become essential to develop real solutions to produce fresh water in various ways, including using solar energy. The outputs and efficiencies available for conventional solar stills are somewhat limited. Many researchers have studied the possibility of modifying the design of solar stills to increase efficiency and productivity. In the present study, several modified designs were examined. The studies showed that the use of a Fresnel lens coupled with a single‐slope, single‐basin design gives the best possible improvement in productivity of about 638.02%. While the remaining productivity improvements ranged from 24.8% to 370%, this review also concludes that the most suitable design for solar stills in industrial applications is the tubular type with a wick, while the single‐slope type is most suitable for domestic and personal use. The reviewed modifications demonstrated productivity enhancements ranging from 15% to 676% relative to the conventional solar still.