Using a desert isn't a great idea, but, using the sun to evaporate water works just fine. You're just replacing an expensive heat source with a 'free' heat sour

Using a desert isn't a great idea, but, using the sun to evaporate water works just fine. You're just replacing an expensive heat source with a 'free' heat source. That's not unusual in desalination however, many facilities are combo plants, they're producing power and then using waste heat for desalination.