To address the scarcity of freshwater in isolated coastal areas without electricity, a novel solar seawater desalination system consisting of an efficient evacuated U-tube solar collector and hydrophilic modified tubular still is theoretically proposed. Based on the laws of thermodynamics, mathematical expressions for the freshwater yield rate, exergy efficiency and energy efficiency of the solar seawater desalination system are derived and used to predict the performance features. Under a solar irradiation intensity of 1000 W m−2, the freshwater yield rate, exergy efficiency and energy efficiency are, respectively, 2.75 kg m−2 h−1, 5.17 %, and 46.58 %, showing a bright prospect. To further enhance the performance, extensive parametric studies are conducted. Results indicate that increasing the working fluid flow rate, environment temperature, while decreasing the inlet water temperature of evacuated U-tube solar collector, wind velocity, as well as the hydrophilic modified tubular still tubular shell diameter and length, have a positive impact on the performance of solar seawater desalination system. Local sensitivity analyses further reveal that the wind velocity is the most sensitive variable, while the working fluid flow rate is the least sensitive variable. Based on the weather data from Ningbo, China, case studies reveal that, under realistic solar irradiation intensities of 964.25 W m−2 and 248.67 W m−2, the system demonstrates a freshwater yield rate, exergy efficiency, and energy efficiency of 2.62 kg m−2 h−1, 5.06 %, 46.18 %, and 0.45 kg m−2 h−1, 1.72 %, 31.21 %, respectively. Over a 21-year period (2002–2022), case studies demonstrate that the solar seawater desalination system can achieve an average annual freshwater yield rate of 1302.78 kg m−2.
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