Numerical Investigation on a Novel Solar-Based Cogeneration System for Sustainable Power, Heat, and Freshwater Production in Remote Residential Buildings

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Mohammad Bostani 1
Roohollah Rafee 2
Saman Rashidi 1
Guiqiang Li 3
1 Department of Energy, Faculty of New Sciences and Technologies, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran
2 Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran
3 Department of Thermal Science and Energy Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, 96 Jinzhai Road, Hefei 230026, People’s Republic of China
10.22055/jacm.2026.49245.5832
Abstract
Building operations consume 30% of the world's energy and cause 26% of the associated emissions, while domestic water use accounts for 12% of global freshwater withdrawals. Renewable, solar-driven multi-generation systems can efficiently provide electricity, heat, and freshwater, especially for small, off-grid, remote households, addressing energy and water scarcity while improving sustainability and living quality. In this study, a novel cogeneration system for the generation of freshwater and energy, specifically tailored for applications in remote areas, is designed for the first time. This cogeneration system integrates a photovoltaic-thermal collector, a salt gradient solar pond, and a stepped solar still. The cogeneration system can produce an average of 4.026 MWh of electricity, 6.972 m3 of fresh water, and 37.99 MWh of heat annually. The proposed system also produces at least daily values of 12.5 L of fresh water, 67.63 kWh of heat, and 6.284 kWh and 12.14 kWh of electricity in the cold and hot seasons, respectively. The system can produce 58.51 liters of fresh water, 7.123 kWh of electricity, and 68.425 kWh of heat on its first day of operation (April 1). Interestingly, 21.68 liters of freshwater and 17.98 kWh of heat were produced during the night.
Keywords
Cogeneration system
Freshwater
Solar energy
Electricity
Heat generation
Subjects

Publisher’s Note Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

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Journal of Applied and Computational Mechanics

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Available Online from 03 September 2026