Decentralized Building-Integrated Solar Water Production Systems
ATTRACT
Overview
The intended project proposes a new solution for future "smart" buildings, providing a decentralized clean water production system on building envelope. The solar energy on the building structure is exploited to supply heat for water production through a promising technology, vertical multi-effect diffusion desalination solar still (VMEDSS), which make drinkable water for the residences in the areas affected by clean water scarcity. The project focuses on developing and testing the proposed solution in two different countries, with different climate conditions, identifying and comparing their operability ranges.
Consortium
It involves 4 partners from Sweden and Italy:
- MG Sustainable Engineering AB
- Solarus Renewables AB
- Politecnico di Torino, Italy
- Sorption Technologies S.R.L., Italy
Budget
Start date: 1st April 2024
End date: 30th April 2027
Budget: €1,364,144
MG Contribution
MG will contribute to the project coordination, overseeing both scientific and administrative activities among the partners to ensure quality and timely delivery of results. MG will also participate in tasks focused on system performance evaluation, including techno-economic assessments, environmental impact analysis, and scaling manufacturing processes. As an R&D focused SME specializing in PVT collectors, MG aims to strengthen its collaboration with Solarus to exchange technical knowledge and promote future research partnerships.
Progress and Impact
The project aims to provide a sustainable solution for building integrated water production systems, focusing on adaptability with different climatic regions in Europe. The selected technology is one of the most efficient designs that use both renewables (Solar thermal energy) and the buildings’ indoor cool environment (as the cooling source) to treat unconventional water resources such as wells, aquifers, rainwater, etc. To comply with the project aim, two different case studies are targeted; one in northern Europe with a cold and dry climate (Sweden) and one in southern Europe (Italy) with a moist and hot climate. Thus, the intended results will be general enough to be adaptable to many parts of Europe with likewise weather conditions.