Solar Powered Water Gaining Momentum

Posted by EcoFriendly

Apr 3

Beyond the insulated suburban rooftops of everyday USA, there is an even greater need for solar power. Victims of natural disasters and wars, including the soldiers fighting those wars, not only have climate change to worry about, but many also lack access to life essentials — food, water and shelter. In recent years, solar power has shown its ability to help in all categories without any existing infrastructure, be it solar refrigerators or cookers, solar-powered emergency shelters or water purification systems.

mobile max pure One modular solar-powered water purifier, produced by WorldWater and Solar Technologies, Inc., is gaining respect and momentum among the US military, making it a top candidate for emergency relief worldwide. The company is currently competing for a contract to supply water purifiers to US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Response to their technology has been positive, says the New York Times, in the wake of a week-long demonstration at the Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Virginia. WorldWater has since been invited to demo their technology at several other military bases.

Dubbed the MobileMax Pure, the system is powered by a folding 3.3-kilowatt solar array. It is self-contained and equipped with a battery bank that, according to WorldWater, allows it to run continually for four days without sunlight. A single MobileMax Pure provides up to 30,000 gallons of drinking water per day and costs between $112,000 and $133,000. They are chemical-free, can be set up in 30 minutes by two untrained people, and are able to process and purify salt water, brackish water and fresh water.

The system had its first test in 2005 when it was deployed to Waveland, Mississippi in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. It was the sole fresh water supply for the southern half of the town of 6,600. Today there are 60 units at work worldwide — 37 in Iraq, eight in Afghanistan and Darfur, four in Haiti and two in Ethiopia.

The company is also hoping to increase its scope so that it can be used by utilities. According to WorldWater founder and president, Quentin Kelly, MobileMax Pure can already be used by small utilities. Five systems linked together could produce 150,000 gallons of water per day, and by the end of the year, he plans to have a unit in place suitable to municipal water suppliers.

WorldWater partnered with the city of Rahway, NJ and United Water Resources, one of the nation’s largest utilities, to deploy and test a system in Haiti following the recent earthquake devastation. United Water Resources will study the system’s performance in Haiti with the potential for future deployment elsewhere.

WorldWater is not the only company with large-scale solar-powered water purifiers on the market. The Solar Cube from Spectra Watermakers is just one example. Kelly noted that there are 8 to 10 companies with similar products available, although he claims his was the first. It seems there is little interest from utilities so far in terms of daily municipal water supply. However, interest is piquing for emergency purposes, primarily from state governments, the military and disaster relief organizations.

Source: New York Times

Photo Credit: Global Intersections