S.A.W.E.R. technology can extract water from the air for human consumption or plant irrigation, even in extremely dry and hot climates. The energy for its operation comes from sunlight via photovoltaic collectors. In addition, thanks to battery storage, it can continue to operate even when the sun is not shining. The device is therefore suitable for use, for example, by humanitarian organisations or military forces in remote areas without access to water or energy infrastructure. It produces from hundreds of litres to units of cubic metres of water per day in the desert. It thus has the potential to supplement its natural resources or replace them in places where there are none. In addition, when connected to the electricity grid, the S.A.W.E.R.'s water production is roughly twice as high as in stand-alone mode and up to eight times higher than conventional pure condensing units.
In this year's SDGs Awards, which have been presented by the Social Responsibility Association since 2017, S.A.W.E.R. impressed not only as a technological innovation. The competition emphasizes the promotion and implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs for short. The Innovation, Technology and Energy category therefore evaluated not only the technical maturity of the competition projects, but also their environmental friendliness and overall contribution to the sustainable development of our planet and the quality of life of people.
"It is a nice reward for our hard work and a very important award that we really appreciate and thank for. It is another proof that even a small research centre in the Czech Republic can create cutting-edge technology that can benefit the whole world," says the head of the research team, doc. Tomáš Matuška. His words are also confirmed by the award for the best innovation, which S.A.W.E.R. won this March in a tough competition of several thousand exhibits at the World EXPO in the United Arab Emirates.