Each arched Watly unit is fitted with photovoltaic solar panels that generate heat and solar power. Water is pumped into the tank and made drinkable through a process called vapor compression distillation, which uses solar thermal energy to vaporize water and separate it from contaminants ranging from sea salt to poisons. 

Danish-based company, Sondex, has developed a process that uses heat exchangers to recycle excess or waste energy generated in an industrial process and then redirect this energy to power a separate thermal distillation plant.