Solar off-grid desalination.
World’s most efficient solar desalination.
Clean water using only the sea and sunshine, that’s the beauty of the Elemental Water Source. It’s the world’s most efficient solar desalination solution that has been designed to provide sustainable water. Our desalination solution needs 70% less electricity by Energy Recovery Technology, which means we can make water with 70% fewer solar panels. We have also been able to design the desalination process without the need to use chemicals and with a minimum of maintenance. Together this results in the lowest cost of ownership. A future-proof water supply for any coastal location has arrived.
Sustainable water by solar desalination.
Desalination used to be an expensive process which relies heavily on fossil energy. Small-scale desalination solutions ranging from 4-100 m³/day were inefficient, environmentally unfriendly and unaffordable. This is overcome by improving energy efficiency by 70% and by switching to solar energy. Environmental impact is avoided by a unique water treatment process that does not require any chemicals to run and by reducing the brine salinity. The result is affordable clean water from the sea and sun, enabling a resilient water supply for any coastal location. Tap into the unlimited possibilities of the Elemental Water Source to enable clean water for communities, resorts, industries, private properties, disaster relief & emergency response.
Off-grid solar water supply that’s built to last.
The solar desalination solution is quick to install by its plug & play-containerized nature. Maintenance and operation are made easy by investing in durable components, automation and remote monitoring & control. As we have been making water since 2012 in over 25 countries, our solutions are mature and proven in the field, continuing to build on our experience. Below you will find an overview of the main components:
Different sizes available for your water supply.
It sounds awfully expensive, solar desalination. However, with the reduced energy requirement, we need much fewer solar panels. By the water treatment design, chemicals are avoided. By only using super duplex steel, operational expenses are reduced. Together, this results in the lowest water generation rates at this scale of water production between 3.800 – 100.000 liters/day (1,000 – 26,000 gallons/day). We can make water from the sea using only the sun for as little as 1-2 €/m³. This number includes the investment, transportation, commissioning + training for maintenance, as well as the operational expenses for 15 years to come. We can tailor our solutions to meet your water needs.
| Water production (liters/day) | 3.800 | 10.000 | 20.000 | 50.000 | 100.000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Container size (ft) | 8 ft | 8 or 20 ft | 20 ft | 40 ft | 40 ft |
| Solar energy (kW) | 4,5 | 10,3 | 20,4 | 46,3 | 93,8 |
| Energy use desalination (kWh/m³) | 3,0 | 2,7 | 2,7 | 2,7 | 2,7 |
| Feed water TDS | 3.000-40.000 | 3.000-40.000 | 3.000-40.000 | 3.000-40.000 | 3.000-40.000 |
| Weight incl. container (kg) | 2.600 | 4.300 | 6.500 | 13.700 | 27.500 |
| Water generation rates (€/m³) | 4-5 | 2-3 | 1,5-2,5 | 1,3-2,0 | 1,2-1,5 |
70% less energy than traditional desalination.
The breakthrough saving up to 70%:
Energy recovery: The key to efficiency.
By unique Energy Recovery Technology, the system uses 70% less energy than traditional desalination and therefore requires 3x fewer solar panels.
By re-using the saltier water flow of the reverse osmosis process, we are able to reduce the amount of required energy by up to 70%
This major breakthrough enables an independent water supply for any coastal location. Our energy recovery technology is maintenance-free.
Providing fresh water on many scales.
Small
- 60% cost savings
- 120 tons CO2 savings
- 8ft container
Medium
- 70% cost savings
- 600 tons CO2 savings
- 20ft container
Large
- 80% cost savings
- 3.000 tons CO2 savings
- 40ft container
Request more information.
Small solar desalination case: Philippines.
Community using the Elemental Water Source.
‘’There are four major issues in the provision of potable drinking water in Southeast Asia: water cost, quality, access, and environmental impact. Working with EWM technology we are able to invest locally into decentralized water production solutions that overcome each of these challenges. Starting in the Philippines, regions where we operate can now enjoy affordable high-quality water that has been produced using a sustainable method, in line with our vision.’’
Medium solar desalination case: Madagascar.
Off-grid community using the Elemental Water Source.
‘’Our community was faced with a great water problem causing suffering. But thanks to the Elemental Water Source™, our water needs are satisfied with 15,000 liters of drinking water per day. We are delighted with the project and wish other communities can experience the same.’’
Large solar desalination case: Senegal.
Community using the Elemental Water Source.
“Hum’AM is an humanitarian association of engineering students. Our purpose is to improve people’s lifespan in underprivileged regions by providing access to drinkable water as well as electricity. The Senegalese community Ourong has a groundwater table is polluted with salted water. We decided to use the location of the village to our advantage by proposing the implementation of a desalination plant. We were searching for a solution that can provide affordable fresh water by using solar energy. Elemental Water Makers succesfully helped us to achieve this goal.
Today more than 600 villagers benefit from this project. The engineers who made their way on-site to the community during COVID-19, Reinoud & Nathan, were a competent and supportive team. It was a real pleasure to work with them.
Thank you Elemental Water Makers!”
Financial case: Solar desalination.
A community with access to safe and affordable water thanks to the Elemental Water Source.
The problem: expensive unsafe water
The community relies on water that is trucked in on a daily basis. The results are a questionable quality upon delivery and a high water tariff of 6 $/m³. Lacking an alternative, the people are forced to spend a majority of their limited income on water, without the assurance of good quality and sufficient availability.
The solution: solar energy desalination
This changes completely when a decentralized solution by Elemental Water Makers is put in place: The Elemental Water Source™, which can be operated to produce 5 m³/day off-grid using only solar energy. There is also the option to produce 11 m³/day in hybrid mode making use of grid or generator power during the night. The Elemental Water Source™ allows the people to enjoy savings of 75% on water expenses and and total savings of over $300.000. The solution’s payback depends on several factors, but, on average, it is around 2.5 years.
The benefits: savings & development
The community now has high-quality potable water on-site, without the dependency of water trucking and associated carbon emissions, saving 10 tons of CO2 per year. The Source™ leads to empowerment, jobs and possibilities for education.
Water expenses
Water tariff in $/m3
Over $300.000 in total savings.
Elemental Water Kiosk.
A vision of development by entrepreneurship.
More than 70% of the people without access to safe water live in remote areas. Without access to affordable & clean drinking water, development remains limited. Our Elemental Water Source™ can be used as a water kiosk, providing drinking water to those who need it the most. To do so, we need to bring together the technology, the local entrepreneur who operates the project and the financing.
These water kiosks can enable NGOs and investors to realize impact, while providing a ROI. As an example, please find below the economics for a loan to the local entrepreneur combined with a profit sharing model. This can be done on a larger scale by clusterng dozens of projects per region by working together with governments, grants and developent organisations. Feel invited to contact us to develop such a project together.
