There’s a tiny fraction of freshwater that is potable on earth. Access to cleaner and safer water is harder to come by, especially for developing countries. Finnish startup Solar Water Solutions aims to change that through reverse osmosis and desalination. Learn more about the startup here and its plans.
The Startup: Solar Water Solutions
Solar Water Solutions uses renewable energy, particularly solar energy, to help purify water to make it potable. They use a battery-powered solar unit that uses reverse osmosis and turns contaminated or saltwater into potable water. Plus, their products can convert salty or contaminated water into clean water. Their products don’t require too much maintenance, and it’s easy to set up anywhere.
So far, they have serviced Africa, Europe, Asia, and South America.
Plus, the water they’ve tested is considered clean, according to the World Health Organization.
Their Products
The startup has two main products, the Sea Water RO Units and Brackish Water RO Units. But before we delve deeper into those, they created and developed the ANVS system, which powers these units.
ANVS
The ANVS (adaptive nozzle valve system) is the startup’s patented technology. This will help with the process of ensuring that clean water will be provided to those who have their units. Their patented technology even earned a spot on The Time’s 100 Best Inventions of 2020.
Sea Water RO Units
The first of their two main products are the Sea Water RO Units. This one handles water coming from the seas and oceans. Plus, Solar Water Solutions tested the water coming from the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and the Baltic Sea. Using this device reduces energy consumption to convert sea or contaminated water into clean water.
Brackish Water RO Units
The other of their RO Units are for Brackish Water. This one’s applicable to any river, lake, or contaminated boreholes. Their recycling system works wonders for this unit, having an over 90% recovery rate.
Project Financing
Back in December 2020, Solar Water Solutions announced that they’d supply water to 400,000 Kenyans. It’s all thanks to a Dutch finance manager, Climate Fund Managers. Funding given to them is an estimated $15 million.
In their press release, they claim to revolutionize the water infrastructures and access to cleaner and safer water for Kenyans. Their goal is to do this by 2023.
A year later, they announced that Nefco had also backed the startup to globalize their battery-powered system, which can help provide clean water from salt or contaminated water.
The Nefco financing (under the Green Recovery Loan Programme) will help the startup provide 10 water treatment units in Morocco. This is also done alongside Atlas Inclusive Partners, an exclusive local partner of the startup. The startup was motivated to provide water treatments units to address the ongoing drought crisis in the country.
Success
One notable use of their units comes from their partnership with LORENTZ. The company set up water units in Kenya, where there’s no access to clean water. Using LORENTZ products, they helped Kenyans get clean water for everyday use. Plus, their combined units are affordable to use and sustainable for Kenyans.
Possible Repercussions of Reverse Osmosis Membranes
While their products are promising, the Reverse Osmosis (RO) Membranes still raise questions over their actual cleanliness. A 2007 study finds that RO membranes will require cleaning from toxic substances, which can have effects on the unit. Plus, its brine byproduct can be harmful to living things in the sea.
Still, the company maintains that the RO membranes require less maintenance, and these membranes require only citric acid (a non-toxic substance) to clean them. Plus, proper disposal of its brine will not hinder the cleaning process in the long run.
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