CO2 mitigation, energy matrices, and the performance analysis of N-evacuated tube collector (ETC)-integrated modified solar distiller for water/electricity co-generation using CQD nanoparticles

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With advances in science and technology, nanofluids are the ultrafast heat transfer fluids which effectively empowers the distillation process. In this research article, N-evacuated tube collector (N-ETC)-coupled single slope solar still-equipped built-in-passive condenser and roof-top semitransparent photovoltaic (PV) module have been analyzed incorporating carbon quantum dot nanoparticles (CQD-NPs). The effect of volume concentration of nanoparticles (NPs) and packing factor ( βc) is tested to study the system performance (thermal and electrical). The use of CQD-NPs showed impressive enhancement in thermal conductivity (56.06%), Reynold's number ([Formula: see text]), evaporative (37.9%) and convective (76.94%) heat transfer coefficient even at moderate value of βc (0.67). Thermal energy efficiency and overall daily productivity is improved by 37.67% and 44.15%, respectively, using CQD-NPs. Moreover, thermal energy/exergy-based energy metrics and life cycle assessment has been performed for different lifespans ( n = 1 to 50 years) of the proposed system. Significant improvement in life cycle conversion efficiency [31.90% ( βc = 0), 28.91% ( βc = 0.67), 24.56% ( βc = 0.75), 32.02% ( βc = 0.85), 53.38% ( βc = 0.95)] is observed; also, enviro-economic analysis showed effective rise in annual CO2 mitigation (tons) [41.39 ( βc = 0), 104.85 ( βc = 0.67), 96.23 ( βc = 0.75), 85.14 ( βc = 0.85), 65.51 ( βc = 0.95)] and carbon credits earned using CQD-NPs. This renewable stand-alone two-in-one output system effectively meet the drinking water and electrical energy requirements of societies, and families living in arid/semiarid regions.