Time Line of Solar Toilet Project:

• In 2003,  Dr. Christine L. Moe of Emory University reported that double vault, urine-diverting, latrines in El Salvador do not inactivate microorganisms in fecal mater as effectively as solar latrines based on findings from her study supported by The Thrasher Research Fund.
• In 2006, the  Center of Global Safe Water at Emory partnered with Georgia Tech Research Institute and Bolivian NGO Sumaj Huasi to increase safe sanitation coverage in Bolivia. A component of this study included the design and evaluation of prototype solar sanitation systems.

• During 2007 and 2008 the Georgia Tech and Emory teams traveled to Bolivia to construct 5 prototypes in the high plains and tropical lowlands.  While adequate temperatures were reached during the summer months, temperatures were not sustainable year round.

• In 2008 the Georgia Tech Engineers Without Borders began working in collaboration with Georgia Tech Research Institute to build improved prototypes. The project received a grant from the NCIIA to continue research.

• In 2011, Georgia Tech Students Emily Woods and Molly Nelson applied to the Open Minds Competition through the NCIIA for their Solar Toilet Project. They were accepted to present at the Smithsonian in March 2011 and won 1st place in the conference’s video competition. During Spring 2011, several prototypes were constructed and built to reach higher temperatures for complete pathogen inactivation.

• In June of 2011, Emily Woods, Andrew Foote, Nick Van Vliet, Chris Quintero, and Sean Kolk  formed Sanivation based on research done at Emory and Georgia Tech. Sanivation was accepted by Startup Chile to continue to develop the project.
• In November 2011, Sanivation started focusing efforts on a service model and a solar concentrator model to increase user acceptability and decrease costs.
• In January 2012, Sanivation sold its services to the largest NGO in Chile, Un Techo Para Chile.

Sanivation is currently based in Santiago, Chile and is designing and testing projects. To learn more about us check out our blog or send specific inquiries on our contact us page