In Chile this chandelier offers free electricity and drinking water by taking advantage of the sun and the sea

    Henry Glogau's solar desalination skylight provides essential low-cost services in slums located along the sea.

    He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him

    Henry Glogau's solar desalination skylight provides essential low-cost services in slums located along the sea.





    The Solar Desalination Skylight, created by New Zealand architect Henry Glogau, is a device that uses sea water and solar energy with a triple purpose: to create diffused natural light, to produce drinking water and to generate energy in the homes of informal settlements along the coast. An innovative, sustainable and low-cost response to address the problem of service shortages in some parts of the world. (READ also: Scientists make seawater drinkable in just 30 minutes thanks to sunlight)

    The idea comes from the designer's great sensitivity and concern for the lack of water and electricity in vulnerable areas. There are currently over 1 billion people living in communities born in informal settlements and this figure is expected to reach 2050 billion by 3.

    In Chile this chandelier offers free electricity and drinking water by taking advantage of the sun and the sea

    ©Henry Glogau

    “It is crucial for the future to consider low-tech systems that use the environment to our advantage to provide essential resources such as fresh water, natural light and electricity through alternative methods,” explains Glogau.

    The project developed in Chile was possible thanks to the collaboration with the local NGO Techo. For Henry, working with them was fundamental because he allowed him to better understand the real needs and challenges that people in informal settlements face on a daily basis.

    “In Chile, over 110.000 people live in these conditions, of which 80% do not have access to clean and safe water, electricity and sanitation. This, coupled with the fact that another 2,2 billion people on earth do not have access to safe drinking water, was a great motivation for me, ”confesses the New Zealand architect.

    In Chile this chandelier offers free electricity and drinking water by taking advantage of the sun and the sea

    ©Henry Glogau

    Considering that Chile is a coastal country overlooking the Pacific Ocean, there are two easily available and indeed abundant elements on which it was possible to work: sea water and solar energy. Thus, with a holistic approach and exploring the potential of the South American country's natural environment, Glogau managed to create a truly innovative solution, which not surprisingly allowed him to enter among the finalists of the Lexus Design Award 2021.



    In fact, the solar desalination skylight uses the energy of the sun to naturally illuminate the houses and to desalinate the sea water, converting it into drinking water. The remaining salt is also used to generate electricity and power the diffused light during the night.

    In Chile this chandelier offers free electricity and drinking water by taking advantage of the sun and the sea

    ©Henry Glogau

    Everything we need is offered to us by nature, but sometimes kind and visionary eyes are needed to be able to realize solutions of great social impact with low environmental impact. Glogau has brought clean water and energy to the informal Chilean settlement of Nueva Esperanza, in Mejillones and soon, thanks to his efforts, there will be many more people who can claim their right to these essential services.


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