Technology: Parabosol is a portable solar powered water treatment system for use in remote areas.
- Physical and purifying filtration is conducted by using a parabolic mirror that boils water at a temperature up to 400 degree Celsius.
- The water first passes through a sand filter to catch particles.
- Secondly, the water is collected in a water container where it is purified using the steam generated by the parabolic mirror.
- And lastly, the water passes through a carbon filter to remove odor-dissolved gases.
- The system consists of one contaminated water container, one purification container and two clean water containers.
- This technology can clean up to 170 liters of water in a single use.
Problem:
- Statistics vary but the WHO states that “1.1 billion people has no access to any type of improved drinking source of water.” http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/mdg1/en/
- water.org puts this figure at about 663 million people that lack access to safe drinking water (about 1 in 10 people)
- A lack of safe drinking water has a strong impact on health and mortality as can be seen by the millions of people who suffer from waterborne diseases.
Stakeholders:
- Engineers / Designers of the technology
- Suppliers of materials
- Sales and marketing
- Who can sell this technology and get additional funding/investment
- Investors
- who can finance the implementation of these solar panels
- NGOs and project managers
- who can help assist with the implementation through actual installation, maintenance and education of communities for how to maintain it themselves
- Local communities
- who will be benefiting from this technology also need to be receptive to it.
Implementation:
It is unclear what stage this technology is in with regard to implementation, however it did win awards in 2014 and 2015.
A plausible implementation process for such a technology, however, would be:
- Seek funding and investments to launch a pilot project
- Partner with an NGO that has ties to a community where it could implement such a technology
- Launch pilot project and monitor outcomes / problems that arise
- Made adjustments to technology/ additional R&D
- Marketing of success of pilot / get additional funding
- Continue partnership and implementation across communities
Sources:
http://www.designnobis.com/index.php?r=site/product&id=192
http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/mdg1/en/
http://water.org/water-crisis/water-sanitation-facts/