Water Wiser Solar Stills
(Page 2 of 5)
August/September 2002
By Claire Anderson
The other common type of solar distiller is the multibasin distiller. Also known as inclined solar distillers, multibasin distillers use numerous small basins to produce a greater amount of distillate during the day. These distillers generally can be transported easily and may be more suitable for temporary dwellings. Due to the amount of latent heat stored in one large basin of water, singlebasin distillers continue producing distilled water at night, and thus are as efficient as multibasin distillers.
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All basin distillers have four major components: a basin, a support structure, a clear cover (usually tempered glass) and a distiller trough. Most distillers also include insulation, sealants, piping and valves. Volunteers in Technical Assistance's booklet Understanding Solar Distillers offers a wealth of recommendations for building your own distiller. (For more information see "Distiller Sources")
The total amount of surface area determines the yield of the solar distiller. Dennis Lemon, author of Pure Water Nature's Way (see "Distiller Sources"), says on a sunny day, for every 1,000 square inches of cover surface, the solar distiller will produce about 1 gallon of pure water. An efficient 4-by-8foot distiller should yield 2 to 4 gallons
With the sun's energy, this simple single-basin, passive-solar distiller can produce up to 4 gallons of purified drinking water per day of pure water on a sunny day. A solar water distiller will make potable water day after day, season after season.
COST COMPARISONS
A study by New Mexico State University shows solar-distilled water costs less than 7 cents per gallon, based on the conservative estimate of a 10-year distiller life span. Quality bottled water can cost as much or more than gasoline. Many American families spend more than $250 per year on bottled water, says Michael Cormier of SolAqua, a solar distiller distributor. Electric distillers, which consume about 3 kilowatt hours per gallon of water, will yield good water, albeit energyintensive and more expensive, at about 30 cents per gallon.
About $400 will buy a small solar distiller that will produce 2 to 6 quarts of drinking water per day, depending on weather conditions. A larger solar distiller, selling for about $800, will produce up to 2 gallons per day, or 770 gallons per year After just one year of production, that's only a little more than a dollar per gallon. The cost will drop every subsequent year of operation. With no mechanical parts to wear out, a solar distiller is long-lived. A little cleaning maintenance is all that's needed to provide potable water for decades.
GOING AUTOMATIC
Unless you've automated your system (discussed below), you'll have to fill your distiller with source water and collect the distilled water on a daily basis. This can be an enjoyable routine or a confounding chore, depending on your lifestyle and time constraints.
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