Commercialization of Solar Desalination Technology

Goal: Support the commercialization strategy for a low-cost solar-powered desalination technology developed to convert seawater and brackish water into potable water.

Although desalination technologies are widely used—more than 22,000 plants operate in 177 countries and collectively supply about 1% of global drinking water—high capital and operating costs have historically limited broader adoption. Cost-reducing innovations are therefore critical to expanding access to freshwater in water-scarce regions.

After retiring as a theoretical physicist at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Melvin Prueitt focused on clean energy and water technologies. His company, Los Alamos-based Solar Energy, Ltd., developed a solar-powered desalination system that integrates an innovative solar collector design with commercially available reverse-osmosis components. The system is estimated to produce potable water at as little as one-fifth the cost of the least expensive conventional desalination technologies.

TerrAqua advised Solar Energy, Ltd. on strategies to move the technology beyond the prototype stage and toward commercialization. This included identifying potential pathways such as licensing agreements with major manufacturers, joint ventures with industrial partners or government agencies, and opportunities to attract additional investment capital to support scale-up and deployment.

Client: Solar Energy, Ltd.