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The use of solar thermal systems (STSs) has recently reached a significant edge. The increasing research on developing an alternative power supply for limiting fossil fuel usage and climate change are the driving forces of STSs. The current work explores the recent progress in STSs' applications, including PV/T or "photovoltaic/thermal" systems, zero-energy buildings, greenhouse solar thermal applications, solar thermal for pumping water, solar thermal refrigerators, solar chimneys, water desalination, and solar collectors, along with the benefits and challenges of these applications. Then, the potential contribution of STSs in achieving the various SDGs or "Sustainable development goals", including barriers and research gaps, are elaborated. In brief, STSs significantly contribute to the seventeen SDGs' achievement directly and indirectly. Recent developments in the engineering applications of STSs are strongly based on the materials of construction, as well as their design, process optimisation, and integration with multidisciplinary sciences and technologies such as modelling, nanoscience/nanotechnology, and artificial intelligence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The lack of fresh water resources is one of the important reasons obstructing progress all over the world. To overcome this crucial situation, the water desalination system (WDS) is progressed, enhanced, and modified. The desalination plant is mostly powered by nonrenewable energy resources, mainly by fossil fuels that make it an expensive and high‐energy‐consuming technology. Therefore, it is indispensable to depend on renewable energy supplies to drive desalination systems. Recently, the total thermal energy desired to operate the humidification–dehumidification desalination systems can be gained from renewable/sustainable energy resources such as geothermal energy and solar energy. Among the different desalination techniques, the HDH is considered one of the most effective desalination techniques to manage the critical issue of shortage of drinking water. The current paper presents a comprehensive review of diverse types of HDH desalination systems as well as their fundamental components. The present work revealed that the seawater HDH system is a promising technology to produce fresh water, particularly for decentralized demand. The packed bed humidifier is the most utilized type in the HDH water desalination system than other types of humidifiers. Furthermore, the direct dehumidifier enhances the performance of HDH desalination system compared to the indirect one. The present study concludes that the hybrid energy systems have the highest gain output ratio, while the thermal energy systems have the lowest gain output ratio. Water heating with solar energy has a significant enhancement in system productivity compared with solar air heating. The HDH WDS incorporated with heat pump achieves appropriate system productivity and gain output ratio with the lowest cost per liter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]