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Last edited: 1 February 2025
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Water distillation can be used to obtain safe water to drink using solar energy. Often this involves removing the salt from seawater, which makes up over 95% of the water on the planet, but is also useful in removing contaminants and disease-causing organisms. Most approaches use an evaporation technique. The water is first evaporated, it then condenses and is recaptured as fresh water. Several systems are now using the sun's energy for the evaporation.
Eliodomestico Solar Still[]
A compact solar still example, is the Eliodomestico Solar Still.
The still heats either salty or dirty water in the upper chamber, steam is created, and fresh water condenses and collects in the lower chamber of the Eliodomestico Solar Still.
SunDwater distillation system[]
SunDwater distillation system
An Israeli company, SunDwater has developed a system capable of 400 liters (104 gal.) of fresh water each sunny day, which uses a four sq. meter parabolic solar reflector to concentrate a high temperature focus on the seawater vessel. New water is constantly pumped back into the closed system as the water evaporates.
SOURCE distillation system from the air[]
SOURCE Hydropanel, Photo credit: SOURCE
SOURCE Hydropanel technology incorporates multiple patented inventions that uses the power of the sun to produce pure water that is then mineralized for ideal pH and TDS, resulting in safe, premium quality drinking water. Hydropanel is like a solar photovoltaic panel, but instead of creating electricity, it instead makes clean, safe drinking water without electric hookups or infrastructure, nearly anywhere in the world. It is reported each panel is capable of producing up to 5 liters (1.3 gal.) of water per day. It can be sized for single-family use, or scaled up for community use.
Watercone[]
Watercone solar still
A simple inexpensive, and mobile device for solar potable water generation from sea water or brackish water based on condensation. With a base diameter of 80 cm (31.5 in), the still is reported to be able to condense roughly one liter of water per day. Read more...
Very low-tech distillation[]
Source: smartlivingshopper.com
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A very simple distiller can be created from any solar panel cooker by placing a dark-colored jar or bottle inside a chamber made by two clear jars - Photo: Craig Bergland
Audio and video[]
- March 2021:
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Craig Bergland- The Found Art of Solar Energy
See water distillation technique at 21:10 with Craig Bergland
- March 2017:
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Articles in the media[]
- February 2025: Beetle-inspired air-to-water device from US makes 2.5 gallons of water per day Interesting Engineering
- January 2023: Pioneering air-to-water technology harvests high-quality drinking water at home - Interesting Engineering
- April 2017: US researchers discover new way to procure water from thin air - ABC.net.au
Documents[]
- July 2024: CFD simulation of modified solar still for effective condensation and evaporation: energy and exergy analysis (improving water distillation efficiency) - frontiers
- January 2018: Purification of Water Using Solar Energy - V. Avinash Reddy, et al
- July 2006: NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF THE DIRECT APPLICATION OF COMPOUND PARABOLIC CONCENTRATORS TO A SINGLE EFFECT BASIN SOLAR STILL - Joshua Pearce
- Distilador solar de agua - Grupo Fenix