Solar powered adsorption desalination for Northern and Southern Europe

Adsorption desalinators can be powered by solar energy to provide potable water and to mitigate increasing water stress throughout Europe. In this study, we analyse the feasibility of a solar powered adsorption desalination system design to produce drinking water at two distinct European locations, representing two extremes in terms of solar radiation. Detailed solar radiation data is used as input to an experimentally validated adsorption desalination model. The experimental validation is performed using advanced ionogel materials, as these materials show outstanding performance with regeneration temperatures as low as 25 °C. The system size requirements for the adsorption beds and solar collector area are calculated for each location and season. In Scotland, the system is viable for summer and spring, which tend to be the driest months. In Sicily, solar radiation is sufficient throughout the year and a system would require 140 kg of ionogel and 200 m² of solar collector area to produce one cubic metre of drinking water per day.