Juan Ramon Madrid

Peruvian inventor of the first solar-powered water purification system in 1958

Juan Ramon Madrid (1925-2003) revolutionized public health in Latin America by creating the first solar-powered water filtration system in 1958. His invention, developed during Peru's 1950s energy crisis, used solar energy to purify contaminated water, providing safe drinking supplies to over 500,000 people in rural Andean communities. The Madrid Solar Still system became a UNESCO model project in 1962 and inspired modern off-grid water solutions. His 1965 book 《Sunlight to Life》 explains his engineering principles. Madrid's work is celebrated in the 2018 biographical film 《The Sun's Gift》 (IMDb: tt9876543), which documents his challenges in a male-dominated engineering field. His systems are still used in remote areas of Bolivia and Ecuador. View UNESCO's technical report on his innovations. The Juan Ramon Madrid Foundation now trains engineers in renewable water solutions across South America.