Abstract
This review provides an in-depth analysis of deep ocean water (DOW) energy systems, highlighting their potential to address the growing demand for cooling and energy sustainability while reducing dependence on fossil fuels. This article highlights the urgent need for sustainable alternatives and explores key technologies such as Sea Water Air Conditioning (SWAC) and Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC), including applications like desalination and aquaculture systems. This review evaluates the practical applications, successes, and challenges of these technologies through global case studies and real-world implementations. Special attention is given to environmental and social considerations, including impacts on marine ecosystems and socio-economic implications. Through a comprehensive synthesis of findings, this review identifies both opportunities and barriers to the adoption of deep ocean water energy systems, emphasizing their crucial role in climate change mitigation and sustainable development. In addition to sustainability, key strengths of this review include its interdisciplinary perspective and its reliance on real-world case studies to evaluate the practical viability of these systems. It offers valuable insights to guide future research and implementation strategies for these promising energy solutions.