World-wide there are 2 billion people living without electricity, and about 1.3 billion without adequate drinking water provision. But why does this happen, even though there are plenty of well known water treatment technologies, and photovoltaic systems can provide electric energy even to the most remote locations of the world? In an EC-sponsored project, Fraunhofer ISE and its Spanish and Latin American partners investigated a new approach for PV-powered drinking water provision: The situation of rural water supply in 9 Latin American countries was characterised. In parallel, different disinfection technologies were analysed and units available on the market were tested. For 5 pilot villages in Mexico, Argentina and Morocco adapted PV-powered water treatment and disinfection systems were developed and implemented later-on into the communities. Special attention was paid to the careful analysis of the socio-cultural context in the pilot villages. The installations were accompanied by an education campaign and additional measures. In the course of the project, some major barriers hindering the development of the rural drinking water market could be identified, but also recommendations were elaborated, how to overcome these barriers.
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