THE National Electrification Administration (NEA), in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), will install solar-powered hydropanels in Cobrador Island, Romblon.
The agency will deploy four SOURCE Hydropanel units this month, as part of its ongoing project with the ADB to help families experiencing potable water supply problems in off-grid rural areas, especially in small islands.
“This new technology can help address the inadequate infrastructure to deliver safe and clean drinking water in remote areas like Cobrador Island,” Engr. Ernesto Silvano, Jr., acting department manager of the NEA Office of Renewable Energy and Development, said.
The SOURCE Hydropanel, developed by US-based Zero Mass Water, Inc. (ZMW), extracts water vapor from the air into a proprietary absorbent material. The collected water from the hydropanels flows into a reservoir where it is mineralized with calcium and magnesium “for health and taste benefits.”
On average, each hydropanel unit can produce five liters of water per day. This means four SOURCE Hydropanel units can yield about 20 liters of water a day.
Cobrador is under the franchise area of the Romblon Electric Cooperative, Inc. (ROMELCO). Also known as Naguso Island, it currently does not have a desalination plant that can turn saltwater into drinking water for the daily consumption of its community.
At present, Cobrador has 30-kilowatt solar hybrid power generation system that supplies cleaner and affordable round-the-clock electricity to the community of 257 households. ROMELCO is already planning to augment its capacity.
SOURCE Hydropanels were also deployed in areas covered by the Agusan del Sur Electric Cooperative, Inc., Bohol Electric Cooperative, Inc., Davao del Norte Electric Cooperative, Inc., Davao del Sur Electric Cooperative, Inc., First Bukidnon Electric Cooperative, Inc., Pangasinan I Electric Cooperative, Inc., and Samar I Electric Cooperative, Inc.