Jalel Aboudi

Tunisian engineer who created the world's first solar-powered desalination microgrid

Jalel Aboudi (1978-present) transformed water scarcity solutions through his SolarDrop system - a portable combination of nanofiltration membranes and concentrated photovoltaic panels. Deployed in 45 Saharan villages since 2020, each unit produces 15,000 liters/day using 60% less energy than conventional plants.

His dual-axis solar tracking innovation increased photovoltaic efficiency by 28% in high-temperature environments. The Reuters-covered project in Tataouine created Tunisia's first completely water-independent community in 2021.

Aboudi's WaterCube modular design won the 2022 MIT Climate CoLab Grand Prize. The system's AI-powered maintenance protocol enables operation by local technicians with minimal training, as detailed in his Desalination journal paper.