Photovoltaic Water

Stand-alone photovoltaic sunshade

aimed at the production and distribution of drinkable water

Together with Sinapsi (www.synapsis-ri.it) Sinerlab has developed and built a stand-alone photovoltaic sunshade devised for the production and distribution of drinkable water.

The sunshade total surface is divided into two areas: a technical area and a public one. The technical area hosts all the components of the machinery that is guarantees the production of drinkable water. This space is encircled by panels made in polycarbonate and should only be accessed by technical personnel. The use and accessibility of the remaining area will depend on circumstances.

The sunshade can both collect rainwater and extract water from the atmosphere. In this latter process, condensation of water vapor on a cold plate is achieved through a dehumidifier. The water so obtained is collected in a tank with a capacity of 1000 litres. When water is then drawn from here, it undergoes filtering throuh osmosis and reminelarization with eatable mineral salts, before being collected in a second tank, also with a capacity of 1000 litres. This process guarantees that the water is drinkable from the chemical point of view. In order to ensure potability from a microbiological point of view, before distribution the water is treated by a UV lamp.

The project is based on a patent that was recently deposited by Prof. Ugo Bardi and Dr. Toufic El Asmar, from the Chemistry Department of the University of Florence.