Watly,
a solar powered system that purifies water, generates electricity and
provides Wi-Fi connectivity would boost the water purifier market.
Water purifier system eliminates contaminants, toxins, microorganisms, and harmful substances for making water safe for drinking and other purposes. The prime reason for growing usage of water purifiers in developed countries is increasing level of water contamination which resulted from water pollution. Over the past years, the need for clean water is increasing in developing countries and new markets, such as China and India, are emerging owing to large population base, waterborne diseases, and industrialization.
Watly - A solar powered machine:
Technological advancements enable water purifier manufacturers to develop a system that not only purifies water but also generate electivity & provide Wi-Fi connectivity. Marco Attisani, an Italian inventor has created a system, Watly, which is a solar powered machine with a capacity to serve nearly 300 people. This project aims to provide three major benefits: purified water, electricity, and internet. It is helpful for developing and underdeveloped countries, which have abundant sunlight, but lack resources and unable to find solutions for generating clean water. The current prototype of Watly is a huge H-shaped tent weighing around 15 tons. The H-shaped tent helps in capturing sunlight throughout the day.
"The only things it needs to run are dirty water and a lot of Sun," said Marco Attisani, the 44-year-old creator of Watly. “From that it can purify 5,000 litres of water and generate enough electricity to power itself and to power external devices."
Working mechanism & benefits:
Vapor compression distillation is the process used in Watly for purification of water. The system has a capability to desalinate sea water by eliminating pollutants, viruses, and pathogens. Photovoltaic panels are mounted on top of this system to generate electricity that can be utilized for charging external devices. The electricity generated in excess can be stored in 140 kW internal battery. Moreover, the system has built-in Wi-fi connectivity that provides connection up to 500 meters or 1,640 feet in order to help people share information.
Investments in Watly till date:
The US state of Texas, Saudi Arabia, Australia, the United Arab Emirates, and various nations from the African continent & South America have shown interest in this innovative system. Furthermore, leading telecom giants are also interested in investing in this technology. The prototype has been tested for three years. Following a successful trial of Watly 2.0 in 2015 in a village in Ghana, the company raised €2 million (£1.6 million) in funding from organizations, such as Horizon 2020 and European Pioneers.
How a one-time investment provides great benefits?
Commercially, the construction cost for Watly is €400,000. The creator believes that this money is a one-time investment for companies and governments. After an initial investment, this machine runs for 15 years for free. In this period, it would provide 3 million liters of purified water per year, which is enough for 3,000 people. In addition, it produces electricity for hundreds of devices and provides Wi-Fi connection to give access to internet.
A report published on the water purifier market states that the market is expected to register a CAGR of 10.4% from 2016 to 2022 and would garner $45.3 billion by 2022. Analysts studying the market have revealed extensive analysis on drivers & opportunities, recent trends, key manufacturers, and forecasts till 2022 in the report.
