A comprehensive review of solar-assisted technologies in India for clean water and clean energy

Abstract

This article discusses the solar-assisted technologies from the Indian subcontinent to address the sustainable development targets developed by the United Nations program. For water and renewable energy, technologies presented in this paper include carbon sequestration, solar biomass, power plants with thermal and photovoltaic systems, irrigation systems, heating systems, dryers, distillation systems, solar desalination, and water treatment. Various techniques are suggested for clean water recovery using solar distillation, solar stills, and desalination. Various methods of solar drying the fruits and vegetables have been discussed using flat-plate collector. Power production from solar–thermal, solar–photovoltaic, and solar–biomass systems are covered from recent studies. Prospects on future solar energy research is recommended on solar cells, magnetized solar stills, heat pump-integrated solar power production systems, and plasmonic nanofluids in solar collectors. In conclusion, the outlook for solar technologies is examined.