Information about the SunGlacier Technology

A technology that will change the world!

We have designed a new and highly-efficient technology that produces volumes of clean water from the air, almost anywhere in the world. Our drive to accomplish this comes from the starting point that clean water should be accessible to everyone.

Sunshine, gravity and air – are free to everyone. We apply these elements to their maximum potential (together in a unique way) to contribute to the solution of the earth’s main problem: fresh, clean water availability.

Detail of “Growing Waterfall” inside the SunGlacier unit.

How does it work?
We condense water vapor in cold falling water: “the growing waterfall” principle. The volume of the waterdrops grow, as the water falls down. The total volume of the water increases rapidly with this method.

What are the advantages?
– The technology is simple and easy to maintain.
– Each cubic meter of air entering the system is dehumidified to the maximum possible amount.
– This is an energy-friendly method: smaller units are designed to run on solar energy and/or hybrid.
– A key advantage of this system is that no water evaporates during the process.
– This system can be scaled up easily.
– We have greatly expanded the working climate/temperature range of ​​previous conventional dehumidification methods.

Where does this technology work?
The SunGlacier system is already in operation when the dew point temperature exceeds 5 Celsius. And on the top of the Dutch pavilion at the Dubai Expo, we have easily produced water in temperatures higher than 50 Celsius. During the first test runs we succeeded to generate 50 liters/hour. (=1200 liters/day) Even in extremely dry and hot conditions, our system produces large volumes of fresh water.

SunGlacier is located on top of the Dutch pavilion, at Expo2020. The water is used to create a rain shower. Picture: cross section of the pavilion, by v8 architects.

Are other SunGlacier machines already in use?

Yes!

  • Dubai 2020 Expo
    We built a large unit that can harvest hundreds of liters of water per day from the desert air for the Dutch Pavilion in Dubai. The water is used in the pavilion to produce a spectacular rain shower and to grow a variety of plants. The outgoing cold air of the container helps to cool the building.
  • Droppler 20
    We built a small series of mobile units for the Dutch Ministry of Defense which produces an average of 20 liters of water per day. This Droppler 20 series has even managed to extract more than 30 liters of water per day in some locations. These machines are being field tested around the world.
  • SunGlacier Backpack (in development)
    What could be better than traveling with a backpack that independently produces drinking water every day – for decades? This concept is still science fiction but hopefully soon will turn into reality! We have already built the world’s smallest water-from-air device, and are still optimizing the technology.