Condensation device design represents a critical step for solar-driven water evaporation toward practical applications

Solar-driven water evaporation (SDWE) has unique advantages, such as no additional energy consumption and low cost, and is a promising technology for obtaining fresh water from seawater and wastewater. Much research is devoted to gaining a high evaporation rate and ignoring the final water yield. Many innovative devices and water collection strategies aiming to gain a high water yield have been reported; however, an in-depth discussion of the water yield of SDWE is still missing. In this review, we summarize some typical SDWE systems, which are categorized as condensation design, steam directional migration, and recovered latent heat. The advantages and improvements of these devices are specifically discussed. Finally, the challenges and the technical requirements for future SDWE systems are briefly summarized, hoping to provide thoughts and tips for scholars who are new to this field to avoid ignoring water yield in favor of a high evaporation rate.