WE3 Lab develops modular, electrified desalination units (A‑PRIME) that operate with variable renewable power and include automated feed‑forward control and high‑precision membranes. It also provides open‑source Python tools for physics‑based simulation, techno‑economic and carbon‑intensity analysis, and decision‑support dashboards that help utilities, industrial users, and policymakers design and operate low‑carbon water‑energy systems.
Funding
Funding not disclosed
Founders
Product
Problem
Conventional water supply and treatment systems impose high capital and operating costs while generating significant greenhouse‑gas emissions. Existing desalination and water‑reuse technologies often lack modularity, automation, and integration with decarbonized energy grids, limiting their deployment in decentralized or low‑carbon contexts. Policy frameworks for water‑energy‑food nexus management are fragmented, hindering coordinated decision‑making.
Solution
WE3 Lab advances a suite of “A‑PRIME” (Automated, Precise, Robust, Intensified, Modular, Electrified) desalination modules that can be scaled from pilot to utility size and powered by renewable electricity. The lab couples these hardware innovations with open‑source, physics‑based modeling tools that perform high‑fidelity techno‑economic analysis, optimal siting, and real‑time operational flexibility for water‑energy systems. Integrated policy‑analysis frameworks translate quantitative system outcomes into actionable regulatory recommendations for water‑energy‑food governance. By providing both hardware prototypes and software platforms, WE3 Lab enables stakeholders to evaluate, design, and operate low‑carbon water supply solutions across diverse contexts.
Target Audience
Primary users include municipal water utilities, industrial water‑intensive facilities, and renewable‑energy‑integrated water‑treatment projects seeking low‑carbon supply solutions, as well as policymakers and researchers developing water‑energy‑food regulatory frameworks.
Features
- A‑PRIME desalination units featuring automated feed‑forward control, high‑precision membrane modules, and electrified operation compatible with variable renewable power.
- Open‑source Python packages (ModelWater, PlanWater, FlexWater) for data management, process simulation, and cost‑emission optimization of water systems.
- Physics‑informed, equation‑oriented models that capture heat and mass transfer, membrane fouling dynamics, and energy integration.
- Scenario‑based techno‑economic assessment tools that generate cost‑per‑cubic‑meter and carbon‑intensity metrics for decentralized and centralized configurations.
- Decision‑support dashboards that visualize optimal water‑energy portfolios, demand‑response potential, and regulatory compliance pathways.
- Modular software architecture enabling coupling with external GIS, SCADA, and renewable energy forecasting APIs.
- Peer‑reviewed policy analysis modules that quantify spatially resolved air‑water emission trade‑offs and support evidence‑based regulation.