An experimental work is presented to study the effect of the saline water medium on the performance of double acting solar still combined with tracked parabolic trough collector (TPTC). Three saline water mediums are considered in the basin: pure saline water, steel wire mesh, and sand saturated with saline water. The effect of these mediums on the freshwater productivity of modified solar still (solar still with TPTC) and the conventional solar still was studied. The study was carried out during cold climate (winter) and hot climate (summer) times. Additionally, a comparison of the performance of the desalination system at different saline water mediums between winter and summer was conducted. Moreover, a cost analysis of the system was presented. The findings reveal that using wire mesh and sand raises the daily yield freshwater by about 3.1% and 13.7% respectively in winter and about 3.4% and 14.1% respectively in summer for the modified system. Furthermore, using wire mesh and sand with saline water of the modified system enhance the system efficiency by 3.3% and 15.3% respectively in summer and 3.9% and 13.8% respectively in winter. The cost of the accumulated liter of freshwater is reduced by using sand and wire mesh. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.