Padua, Italy, April 8, 2021 (Solar Business Hub) — FuturaSun’s photovoltaic modules were selected by Genius Watter to power the off-grid desalination plant on the island of Boa Vista in the Cape Verde Archipelago, which is supplying the rural community of Varahdinha with drinking water and water for agricultural use.
The island of Boavista is one of the most desertified of all ten volcanic islands in the Atlantic Ocean, devoid of any sources of drinking water, battered by strong winds carrying sand from the Sahel and the Sahara, with limited precipitation and frequent drought periods that prevent the growth of lush vegetation. Leveraging solar energy to power a desalination plant that supplies drinking water in such a desertified area has proven to be a winning combination.
The desalination plant was installed by the Italian start-up Genius Watter, which has developed and patented a solar-powered, battery-free desalination system capable of supplying drinking water and water for agricultural use in remote, off-grid areas. The entire system is fitted with a satellite connection to enable remote monitoring and manage the maintenance of any part in case of need.
A total of 192 FuturaSun monocrystalline Next 330W high-efficiency modules were used for the 63.36 kW solar photovoltaic project. The Next 330W panels have a 15-year product warranty and 25-year performance warranty. The solar modules are certified for dust and sand resistance, in accordance with the international standard IEC 60068-2-68, guaranteeing superior performance levels for installations in the entire Sahara, Subsahara and Middle East areas, and they are also certified for salt corrosion resistance, according to the IEC 61701 standard, which also characterises the hostile conditions of African coasts and the facing Atlantic islands.
For at least 30 years the installation in Varandihna on Boa Vista will supply around 75 mc/day of water resources, useful for satisfying the drinking and sanitary water needs of a rural community of 250 inhabitants and the irrigation needs of the local farming association, which will be able to double traditional crop yields.
In line with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) proposed by the United Nations for the next decade, this project makes its small contribution towards the achievement of goal 6 “Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all” and 7 “Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all”.
Alessandro Barin, CEO of FuturaSun said:
“We are proud to study and build panels which thanks to their technology can also be used in extreme conditions so that they can support environmental, economic and social sustainability projects. At FuturaSun this is also how we anticipate tomorrow.”
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About FuturaSun
The Italian company FuturaSun was established in 2008 by a team of managers from Italy’s photovoltaic hub, in the heart of Veneto. The company is specialised in the manufacturing of high-performance photovoltaic panels which have passed the most stringent of tests to achieve prestigious certifications issued by laboratories from all over the world. FuturaSun’s photovoltaic panel manufacturing plants in Taizhou/China generate a total production capacity of 1 GW/year.
About Genius Watter
Genius Watter is an Italian innovative startup committed to making water available through environmentally and economically sustainable solutions, to private clients and rural communities in emerging markets. We offer a sustainable solution to solve the water scarcity issue by redefining the traditional way of supplying water in off-grid locations. The Genius Ro system, developed and patented by Genius Watter, runs 100% solar-powered, without batteries. It desalinates and purifies any kind of water and makes fresh and affordable water available for any need, operating autonomously in rural environments, for the next 30+ years.
Contact details
Marina Schievano – mob. + 39 347 7945945 – email: [email protected]
Ricarda Gutsch – mob. +39 342 908 0359 – email: r. [email protected]
Press release by FuturaSun.
