New all-in-one disaster relief system

A small company in Florida today introduced a new device for emergency relief that combines clean power generation, water purification and wireless Internet access.

Ecosphere Technologies' new Ecos LifeLink is a portable, self-contained "micro-utility" that designed to use the power of the sun and an optional wind turbine to provide clean electricity, convert the most contaminated ground water to purified drinking water, and deliver wireless Internet connectivity, the company said.

The system intended to support off-grid needs including disaster relief and activity in remote locations.

A scale model of the Ecos LifeLink was unveiled today at the Cleantech Venture Forum in San Francisco, a gathering of more than 600 industry investors, companies and thought-leaders.

Deployed as two 20-foot cubes, the Ecos LifeLink incorporates an array of stacked solar panels, which when deployed, provide a photovoltaic surface area of approximately 1000 sq feet, providing as much as 16KW of clean electricity. An optional wind turbine can also be used to generate additional power.

It also incorporates a 30 gallon per minute water filtration module capable of removing arsenic, bacteria and waste from ground water and a satellite communications and electrical power management system that powers a full range of wireless VSAT, VOIP and wireless communications. The system is capable of handling thousands of phone calls and offering wireless connectivity for a range of up to 30 miles, Ecosphere said.

"Ecos LifeLink is revolutionary in the fact that it will use only the power of the sun and wind to create and store the energy needed to run water filtration components, pumps, or motors," said Jean Michel Cousteau, Ecosphere spokesperson, ocean pioneer and leading environmentalist. "LifeLink can be used to provide water and electricity for a small village. Multiple systems could be used throughout a village to power its school, water system, buildings, and communications systems."

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