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Desolenator transforming sunshine into water

Help us develop the most affordable and environmentally friendly water purification technology ever!

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Desolenator transforming sunshine into water

Desolenator transforming sunshine into water

Desolenator transforming sunshine into water

Desolenator transforming sunshine into water

Desolenator transforming sunshine into water

Help us develop the most affordable and environmentally friendly water purification technology ever!

Help us develop the most affordable and environmentally friendly water purification technology ever!

Help us develop the most affordable and environmentally friendly water purification technology ever!

Help us develop the most affordable and environmentally friendly water purification technology ever!

william janssen
william janssen
william janssen
william janssen
1 Campaign |
London, United Kingdom
$167,807 USD by 864 backers
$159,639 USD by 804 backers on Jan 30, 2015


Key features include:

  • high performance solar panels
  • embedded boiler and pump
  • remote monitoring system
  • food grade materials
  • robust casing and alloys
  • unit is ready for use anywhere (coastal, high TDS / contaminent / arsenic/ saline groundwater etc. scenarios)
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Desolenator will provide families with the ability to turn salt water and contaminated water into pure drinking water. The technology has the potential to provide water independence for up to a billion people living in coastal and water stressed areas - using the power of the sun alone. Join our journey to disrupt the global water crisis! 

Purchase a perk, reserve your Desolenator or sponsor a product so you can provide water independence for a family for 20 years!

That’s where Desolenator can make the difference. We take the solar radiation that hits the surface of the system and harness ALL of it. Unlike reverse osmosis systems that are expensive, have consumables and which are usually powered by fossil fuels or solar stills which have a low yield, Desolenator is robust, energy independent and has no moving parts. During its lifetime Desolenator will desalinate water at a lower cost per litre than any system at this scale available on the market today. 

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Contribute Now!

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Is there really a water crisis?

Make no mistake - there is a water crisis!

There’s a lot of talking about an impending water crisis. But you know what - it is already here! Lack of access to clean, safe drinking water is creating conflict, dividing communities and leaving millions dehydrated, ill and inconvenienced. By 2030 the UN estimates that half the world's population will live in water stressed areas.

For some communities their only access to water is the via the weekly visit of the water  truck. For others obtaining water can take hours from their working day as they travel miles to visit wells. And for many in the developing world the water they drink is far from pure and may contain bugs or chemicals, which are detrimental to their health. Water is also an issue in regions from California to Australia to Abu Dhabi to Cyprus.

Today we estimate that there are over a billion people on the planet who don’t have constant access to clean safe water. That’s a billion too many.

Why hasn't somebody invented the Desolenator before this?

It seems so obvious doesnt it? But when we went out and studied the market and the patents that had been filed, we could not find anything that matched the Desolenator for efficiency, low cost over its lifetime and water yield. Sometimes the best inventions are the ones that seem really obvious.


Aren't there other drinking water and desalination technologies on the market?

Existing solutions are not viable. Over 97% of the world's water is in our seas and oceans with only 1% of the worlds water supply available for drinking. Unlike food or energy water cannot be replaced or replenished - we have a finite amount of it on earth.  With populations increasing exponentially and the effects of climate change growing, water is looking like THE critical resource issue facing humanity. What is clear is that if humanity is going to address the water crisis we must transform sea water into drinking water in a sustainable way.

Many countries have adopted large scale desalination technologies, enormous plants that require huge costs to set up and to run as well as vast amounts of energy powered by fossil fuels. Did you know that whilst 0.7% of the worlds water supply comes from large scale desalination, its at the cost of 0.5% of the worlds total energy supply?

There are smaller 'reverse osmosis' systems on the market, but these come at a high capital cost and require significant maintenance and use of consumables such as filters. They also use a LOT of energy. 

Solar stills were invented over 200 years ago and can effectively desalinate water, however the yields are low and not sufficient to provide enough drinking water for a family over the long term. They also do not come cheaply. If you want to purchase a leading solar still today it can cost upwards of $300 - for an old technology with a low yield we think this is not viable.

What do you mean by 'water stress'?

In developing countries people often have to walk miles to fetch water on a daily basis. What do you think a mother could do with those 2 or 3 extra hours a day? Many people around the world get their water via a water truck coming to their village. The water truck is irregular and drinking water will still need to be boiled to be ready for consumption. It is also expensive - we have met families in South India that pay up to $16 a week for all of their water! By 2030 the UN estimates that HALF the worlds population will be living in water stressed areas and that's the full gamut from 'extreme' water stress (think of the skeleton coast in Namibia) through to mild water stress. You can read more about this here:  http://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/scarcity.shtml

The Desolenator seems expensive for a base of pyramid family. How are you going to get this to a billion people?

The capital cost of the Desolenator is a lot for many people. However as the system lasts for up to 20 years, has no consumables, no filters, needs no energy and only requires basic maintenance, this cost can be mitigated. We are looking at various business models including micro-finance, shared ownership and more. Our first systems will be embedded with remote monitoring capabilities so that end users will be able to only pay a small amount on a pay per use basis and also we can keep an eye on maintenance and servicing needs. There is not an easy answer to this but we are looking at all options to get Desolenators to families that need them most and in a way that is affordable. 

Desolenator seems to be doing well, winning the Climate KiC Clean Launch Pad award, so why crowdfund? 

Building a clean technology device is not easy and not cheap and the work on Desolenator so far has been out of pocket expenses provided by the founders. Yes we have won awards, and yes we have a well functioning prototype, however we need your help to accelerate the development and start getting Desolenators out there to people who need them most. It is also about building our community. Crowdfunding gives us a global platform to educate people about the water crisis humanity is facing and a way to channel their energies to do something about it!

Who are iXspark?

iXspark is a social innovation and clean tech incubator in London and Kerala India who have supported the development of the Desolenator venture so far. 

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You can also keep in touch via Facebook, Twitter and at http://desolenator.com


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Choose your Perk

Desolenator Buddy-up

$49 USD
As we’ve sold out of our Christmas co-funding reward, we’re now offering you the chance to join forces with a group to send a Desolenator to a family in need! Together you will fund the setup of Desolenator, training for a local NGO partner and system maintenance over its guaranteed period. Give a family in South India or Africa the gift of clean, drinkable water. We’ll send you a photo of the family with their Desolenator, plus a thank you email from our team stuffed full of good karma.
Estimated Shipping
November 2015
33 out of 50 of claimed

Quench a Family’s Thirst

$650 USD
Sustain a family in South India or Africa with water independence for up to 20 years! You can provide a whole family with a Desolenator and quench their thirst. You will fund the set up of the Desolenator, training for a local NGO partner and system maintenance over its guarantee period. We’ll send you a photo of the family together with their Desolenator once they’re out in the field + a thank you email from our team + enough good karma to make a dent in the universe..
Estimated Shipping
November 2015
16 out of 300 of claimed

Water Independence Educator

$3,000 USD
Imagine a classroom of children in a water stressed area being assured drinking water each day. You can provide a classroom with four Desolenators to quench pupils' thirst throughout the entire school year. We will do all of the set up, training, the maintenance and we will also provide some classes in sanitation, clean energy and social entrepreneurship. We'll invite you to visit the school + a thank you email from our team. The world needs more people like you, you rock!
Estimated Shipping
November 2015
4 out of 30 of claimed

Water Supporter Brand

$16,000 USD
We invite you to meet us to discuss how we can work together to turn our exciting 'Water Independence' campaign into a global initiative. With this corporate sponsorship you'll get to put your logo onto our Indiegogo 'Wall of Fame' AND onto Desolenator.com 'Wall of Fame' as a 'Water Supporter'. We will also meet with you to discuss how we can collaborate on joint initiatives. The corporations that will define the future are the ones that will help create it - be the change and get onboard!
Estimated Shipping
January 2015
0 out of 5 of claimed

Water Champion Brand

$35,000 USD
You are an enlightened corporation who understands that water represents one of the greatest resource risks for humanity - and you want to do something about it! We will deploy x10 Desolenators in a community in South India or Africa and invite your team to come and meet the community, run workshops together and make a film about our shared experience for you + your logo on our Wall of Fame on Desolenator.com. You give corporations a GREAT name and we will share that with the world. Thank you!
Estimated Shipping
November 2015
1 out of 4 of claimed
sold out

Chrismas co-fund a Desolenator

$110 USD
Estimated Shipping
October 2015
36 out of 36 of claimed
sold out

Early Bird - Own a Desolenator

$450 USD
Estimated Shipping
October 2015
Only -1 left
sold out

Own a Desolenator

$479 USD
Estimated Shipping
October 2015
50 out of 50 of claimed

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