Review and system design framework of photovoltaic-powered water treatment

This paper proposes a control-oriented framework for modular drinking-water treatment based on photovoltaic (PV) systems for small households and remote areas. Using hourly SSRD (surface solar radiation downwards) data for Turkey (2025), the study derives two practical solar indicators for operation planning: monthly average daily solar energy and average daily active hours above irradiance thresholds (100 and 200 W/m²). These indicators are linked to a rule-based mode-selection scheme (Modes A/B/C) for treatment planning under seasonal variability of solar resource and PV availability. The framework adopts a reference pre-filtration–UV–clean-water tank chain and uses turbidity as a minimum operational quality gate to support effective UV disinfection. An illustrative household case (150 L/day) and a minimal sensitivity analysis based on the specific energy consumption (SEC) of the process chain show how process energy intensity affects approximate PV sizing. The results provide a practical link from seasonal solar-resource assessment to control-oriented design and operation of PV-powered drinking-water modules.