ENVIRONMENT

BUSINESS: 295 PRACTICES


TOPIC:

Initiative

Produce drinking water from the air

Produce drinking water from the air
SUBMITTED FROM:

OLYMPIA ODOS S.A.

The Olympic Odos is an important national project of strategic importance for the development of the Peloponnese, Western Greece and Epirus. Olympia Odos S.A. was established in 2008 by six construction companies as a special purpose company to implement the Concession Contract of the Elefsina - Corinth - Patras - Patras - Pyrgos - Tsakona Motorway. As Concessionaire of the Project, it is responsible for the design, construction, financing, maintenance and operation of the motorway for a period of 30 years. The companies participating in the joint stock company have extensive experience in the design and implementation of similar large-scale projects, both in Greece and abroad. Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)



Objective Action

Olympia Odos SA offers to the users of the Motorway free, fresh drinking water produced by the air humidity.

 

Target Audience

Internal and external stakeholders

 

Duration

Since 2020


Description

Olympia Odos is one of the most important national strategic projects for Greece. The use of modern technologies to protect the environment and to manage energy is part of the strategy of Olympia Odos for environmentally sustainable road infrastructure. Within the framework of this nomination, we present our initiative to produce water from the air.

Olympia Odos SA always aims at constantly improving the experience of the travelers while using the motorway.  In 2020, it financed and installed a self-sufficient in terms of energy system for the production of drinking water from the air at the parking area of Panorama-Kineta (50.8th km in the traffic in the direction to Athens), an ambitious program to upgrade the travel experience that has a positive environmental impact.

The only project of this type in Greece where the innovative technology of SOURCEΤΜ Hydropanels has been used has achieved the following important results:

  • Daily production: approximately 10 lt of fresh drinking water;
  • Full energy independence for the production and chilling of water;
  • Zero environmental footprint

Olympia Odos identified a great opportunity: Although the motorway has many parking areas and WCs, there was no possibility to supply drinking water.  The water available was coming from wells and presented unsafe levels of contaminants or the pipes were not appropriate for potable water.

 

An innovative solution:  “Water from the air”.

The project is eloquently titled "Water from the air" and is a fully energy-self sufficient application. The two SOURCETM Hydropanels installed on the roof of the car parking construction convert atmospheric moisture into drinking water, solely with the help of the sun.

The solar energy causes evaporation of the collected water vapor and provides the energy required to drive the mechanical components of the system via an integrated battery. The water vapor is then led to the condenser, where it is liquefied and the collected water is stored in the special containers of the Hydropanels. There it is enriched with the necessary minerals and becomes suitable for drinking. Moreover, the addition of ozone ensures that its high quality characteristics are maintained during storage.

The installed water cooler, which is used to supply cool water to travelers during the hottest days of the year, is also powered exclusively by solar energy. Thanks to additional solar panels and a second battery, the system can and does operate regardless of sunshine at any time of the day, making the entire installation environmentally friendly.

The addition of the water cooler is an initiative of Olympia Odos, as it is not provided for in the manufacturer's model solution. Following the necessary adjustments and the support of IDATOR SA, the device can produce up to 10 liters of fresh, potable, cool water per day, without consuming any electricity from the grid.

Thanks to the SOURCE electronic application, stocks are directly monitored, humidity and sunshine levels are recorded, and water enrichment process and adjustment of the operating mode are controlled. For example, when there are no ideal weather conditions (low sunshine, frost, etc.), the rate of water production and storage in the special containers can be reduced so that the battery will not be completely drained. Moreover, the special "green" indicator ensures that the available water is of high quality.

SOURCE™ is a non-extractive water source and is the only, high-tech, stand-alone renewable drinking water production system. The Olympia Odos application is a world first. It is the only application where the entire operation - i.e. installation of Hydropanels and cooler- distributes high quality drinking water exclusively from solar energy.


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Impact on Society

The results of this specific project have exceeded all expectations. The whole system is running smoothly, although its final configuration deviated from the model design, since a number of modifications and extensions were made.

More specifically, the positive results of this project are:

  • Drinking water (up to 10 liters per day) available to drivers and passengers using Olympia Odos.
  • High quality water produced from atmospheric moisture and enriched with minerals, observing the strict guidelines of the international organizations EPA and FDA. At the same time, water has also been tested for being fit for drinking by the Greek State General Laboratory, the official national center for water, food and drug quality control.
  • Direct monitoring of the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the produced water through the SOURCE application.
  • Elimination of plastic use, as travelers no longer need to buy bottled water to quench their thirst since they use their own containers.
  • Fully renewable system, which uses only solar energy and atmospheric air to produce fresh water.
  • Complete autonomy, as no interconnection to any network for water supply or energy grid is required.

 

Annual outcomes

Water production: 5078 lt

Water consumption: 729 lt

Non-use of plastic: 10,156 bottles less

Reduced carbon footprint: 0.84 tons of carbon dioxide less



Initiative Location

Greece, in the geographical areas covered by and crossed by the concession project.


Working with Organization

The project is implemented in cooperation with IDATOR SA. Since 1969, IDATOR SA has been offering products and services related to water and wastewater. It cooperates with plants that produce high specification products in an environmentally friendly way.

It selects and offers products and solutions that are energy efficient and have the lowest environmental footprint. Repairs and maintains all of its products with trained engineers and technicians, in accordance with the manufacturers' procedures both in its facilities and at the locations where its products are installed.


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Workers Participation

The involvement of the employees in this action has been crucial to its success.

"We wanted the cooler not only to be powered exclusively by solar energy, but also to be able to be set so as to offer only a glass of water each time. In this way we believe we are preventing water wastage and giving motorway travelers the right message about water use. All the above understandably generated the need to design new systems that would properly accompany the SOURCETM Hydropanels.” says Mr. Grigoris Chassanis E/M & Tolling Systems Manager.


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Benefits for Οrganization

Olympia Odos sought to increase the comfort of travelers by giving them access to fresh, potable water without using non-environmentally friendly bottled water. Generally, drinking water is not available at the parking areas of Greece's motorways, nor is such an obligation provided for in the concession agreements, but the company always seeks the best for the Motorway users and its customers.

This specific initiative has a semantic importance as in this way Olympia Odos has achieved to:

  • contribute to reducing the pollution of the aquifer;
  • reduce the waste of natural resources;
  • eliminate the use of plastic;
  • train users to change their habits;
  • promote the company as an environmentally friendly organization;
  • improve the company’s visibility;
  • become synonymous with innovation.

This solution, which was first tested and successfully implemented by Olympia Odos, can now be easily and safely installed anywhere, as it is completely autonomous and powered by solar energy. It can also be used in worksites and in other cases where access to fresh drinking water is limited.

At the moment, Olympia Odos is already planning to install 10 more "Water from the air" devices/equipment in 10 sanitary facilities and parking areas respectively, based on their footfall, as determined by water consumption. 




Connection with Global Goals







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