Technology developed in GE’s labs making a difference in Haiti relief effort
Four years ago, I started to work on an exciting idea, using solar energy to purify water. Our dream was to provide safe drinking water anywhere in the world just by filtering it using the power of the sun. We developed models and prototypes. Our ultimate goal was to have a simple, maintenance free and very robust system.
We performed some design studies until we found the best solution – a prototype demonstrating the proper functionalities using the GE Homespring water filtering system and GE solar modules. Recently, our dream became a reality. A new company, Innovative Water Technologies, licensed our technology to produce these systems as a novel product, appropriately called Sunsprings.
It is an uplifting feeling that now as the product is launched, it is first being used to support the victims of the Haiti earthquake. Providing safe water for disaster relief efforts is critical to ensuring survival. 14 Sunsprings are ready to go, each producing enough water for 5,000 persons per day (70,000 people could be served with this first lot). This image is of the original prototype design of the PV/Water system.
To see local news coverage about efforts underway to deploy these systems in Haiti, click here. I will be providing more updates as they come in. As well, you can read more about this on GE Reports.
Our non-profit, Earth Givers, is working in Haiti, in Kenskoff, where there is little water available and is looking at using solar dehumidifiers as a solution to provide clean drinking water to two villages. Have you consider this and is it a viable solution for clean drinking water?