When Clean Energy Meets Clean Water
What if the key to solving water scarcity isn’t finding more water but literally creating it from thin air? In this powerful episode of The Solar Coaster, I sat down with Jeff Szur—founder of Altitude Water—who’s pioneering atmospheric water generation technology that uses solar power to create clean drinking water anywhere on Earth.
Jeff’s journey from solar energy to water creation reveals an entrepreneur driven not just by innovation but by a profound desire to help people in their darkest moments—from wildfire survivors to communities without access to clean water.
The California Water-Energy Paradox
Jeff opened our conversation with a stunning statistic that frames the entire water crisis differently:
“Twenty percent of the electricity in California is used just to move water around the state.”
Think about that. California, a state that leads the nation in solar adoption, dedicates one-fifth of its entire power grid to pumping, treating, and transporting water. It’s an energy-intensive, expensive, and environmentally taxing system that highlights how intertwined our energy and water challenges really are.
“So you know, the water needs the solar, um, in order to, you know, create the water. So we need the electricity,” Jeff explained. “Solar is very important. And as you know, the Teslas aren’t needed everywhere, but they are needed where, you know, electricity isn’t available.”
This connection between solar power and water generation isn’t just theoretical—it’s the foundation of Jeff’s entire business model.
From Solar Entrepreneur to Water Innovator
Jeff’s background in solar gave him unique insights into the energy requirements and possibilities of atmospheric water generation.
“I’ve been in solar and renewable energy now for gosh, twenty-five years,” Jeff shared. “So yeah, it’s a big component of clean energy and clean water.”
But the pivot from solar panels to water generators wasn’t just about seeing a business opportunity—it was about solving a problem that personally moved him.
The Maui Wildfire: An Unexpected Proving Ground
Perhaps the most powerful story Jeff shared was about providing disaster relief during the devastating Maui wildfires—and how a Tesla battery fire paradoxically became their biggest success story.
The First Disaster Relief Trailer
“We were in Maui for the wildfires and created the first disaster relief trailer,” Jeff explained. “But it’s just kind of one of our different features; it’s, uh, it’s not that, um, it created no electrical issues. So that fire, uh, those mobile units are so powerful.”
Jeff’s atmospheric water generators, powered by Tesla battery systems and solar panels, were deployed to provide clean water when Lahaina’s water system was contaminated by the fires.
The Emotional Toll
The experience profoundly affected Jeff on a personal level.
“But then it quickly, you know, as soon as it’s not on the news, people quickly stop donating. They don’t understand the six months that it is, uh, taking to, uh, get these people housed in other locations without a source of water or power.”
This reality—that disaster relief continues long after media attention fades—drives Jeff’s commitment to building sustainable solutions rather than temporary fixes.
“And, and so it’s really exciting that you’re creating these opportunities for water, uh, you know, no matter where, and for those people in need. These atmospheric, uh, water units are saying, I mean, to me, my heart breaks because our disaster relief trailer that has been helping in California and Texas and all these other places, um, you know, people haven’t rebuilt anything.”
The Forgotten Communities
Jeff highlighted a shocking reality that most people don’t realize:
“People forget people. People can’t believe when I tell them they’re still not permitting drinking water in Lahaina. And I have to remind them that the drinking water got contaminated from the fire.”
This contamination persists because water testing standards are dangerously outdated.
The EPA Testing Problem: Stuck in 1974
One of the most alarming revelations from our conversation was about water testing standards in America.
“You know, the water tests we do in America are based on the 1974 Safe Drinking Water Act,” Jeff revealed. “They’ve never been updated.”
Fifty Years of Missed Contaminants
Think about everything that’s changed since 1974:
- PFAS (“forever chemicals”) weren’t widely used yet
- Lithium batteries didn’t exist in consumer products
- Pharmaceutical contamination wasn’t a concern
- Microplastics weren’t in our water supply
Yet our testing standards haven’t evolved to detect these modern threats.
The Lithium Question
Jeff raised a particularly concerning issue about lithium contamination:
“And you know, here we are in these disaster areas. And think about it. Think about, you know, what they’re building for us with the long-term effect of that. I mean, we saw it here in the Redlands in Oahu with that, you know, jet fuel leakage and how people got sick. It takes time to show symptoms. But the amount of lithium that was in the air. And so myself, knowing that the EPA has no news for lithium toxicity in water.”
The implication is chilling: As battery fires become more common in disasters, lithium contamination enters water supplies—but we’re not testing for it because the standards predate the technology.
“You said they haven’t put a new chemical on the EPA process for testing water in twenty or thirty years,” Jeff noted. “So you know, it’s, you know, I don’t know. No one’s looked at it.”
Creating Water Where There Is None
Jeff’s atmospheric water generators don’t just filter existing water—they create it from humidity in the air.
The Technology
While Jeff didn’t go deep into technical specifications in our excerpt, the concept is elegant: extract moisture from air, condense it, purify it, and mineralize it to create clean drinking water. Power it with solar panels and Tesla batteries, and you have a completely off-grid water source.
The Skepticism Challenge
One of Jeff’s greatest challenges isn’t technical—it’s convincing people the technology actually works.
“You know, people forget people. People can’t believe when I tell them,” Jeff said, highlighting the incredulity he faces when explaining atmospheric water generation.
It sounds too good to be true: water from nothing but air and sunshine. But it’s not magic—it’s thermodynamics powered by renewable energy.
The Disaster Relief Mission
Jeff’s work goes beyond selling technology—he’s committed to ensuring water access for those who can’t afford it.
501(c)(3) Partnerships
“And that, to me, is just crazy. I mean, I’m well pleased that our trailer is going where it needs to be because, you know, it needs to go give water,” Jeff shared. “You know, we got to end up creating a one-for-one. We decided on a 501(c)(3). And now know we can’t rebuild the shelter because people aren’t able to rebuild their houses.”
By partnering with nonprofit organizations, Jeff ensures his technology reaches disaster zones and underserved communities—not just paying customers.
The Long-Term Commitment
Unlike companies that provide short-term relief and leave, Jeff’s approach involves staying until communities are truly rebuilt.
“You know, people forget people. And, you know, when you and I talked about it, um, you know, we’re getting into a place for me that I didn’t realize until I—we had first met—that the water tests that we do, you know, in America have never been updated.”
The Redlands Fire: First Success Story
Before Maui, Jeff’s disaster relief work began with the Redlands fire in California.
“We were in Maui for the wildfires and created the first disaster relief trailer.”
This experience taught Jeff crucial lessons about deployment, community needs, and the emotional weight of providing life-sustaining resources to people who’ve lost everything.
The success in Redlands validated the model and prepared his team for larger-scale deployments—though nothing could fully prepare them for the devastation in Maui.
The Global Water Crisis
Jeff’s work extends far beyond disaster relief. Atmospheric water generation addresses fundamental water scarcity affecting billions globally.
Remote and Developing Areas
“Our customers’ needs, no matter where they are in the world,” Jeff emphasized. “There’s always people without access to water.”
Whether it’s a remote village in a developing nation, a wildfire-devastated community in California, or an island dealing with contaminated municipal water, Jeff’s technology offers a solution that doesn’t depend on existing infrastructure.
California’s Unique Challenge
California faces a paradox: surrounded by ocean, blessed with sunshine, yet perpetually water-stressed. The state imports massive amounts of water and uses enormous amounts of energy to do so.
Jeff’s solution—creating water locally using abundant solar energy—could transform how California (and similar regions) approaches water security.
Key Takeaways from Jeff’s Water Mission
1. Energy and water are inseparable challenges. Solving one helps solve the other.
2. Disaster relief is about long-term commitment. Media attention fades, but communities need support for months or years.
3. Water testing standards are dangerously outdated. We’re not testing for modern contaminants like lithium.
4. Atmospheric water generation is real. It’s not science fiction—it’s thermodynamics powered by solar.
5. Access matters more than technology. Creating 501(c)(3) partnerships ensures those who need water most can get it.
6. California’s water-energy paradox needs new solutions. Using 20% of electricity to move water is unsustainable.
7. People forget quickly. Long after disasters leave the news, communities still suffer.
Why This Episode Matters
Jeff Szur represents a new breed of entrepreneur—one who sees technology not as an end in itself, but as a tool to solve humanity’s most pressing challenges. His journey from solar energy to atmospheric water generation shows how clean tech solutions often intersect in unexpected ways.
More importantly, Jeff’s emotional commitment to disaster relief and underserved communities reveals the human heart behind the technology. He’s not just selling water generators—he’s providing dignity, health, and hope to people in their darkest moments.
For solar professionals, Jeff’s work demonstrates how renewable energy enables solutions far beyond electricity generation. For entrepreneurs, it shows how pivoting toward impact can create both meaning and market opportunity. For anyone concerned about water security, climate change, or disaster resilience, Jeff’s atmospheric water generators offer a glimpse of how technology can adapt to our changing world.
The future of clean water might not be found in rivers, reservoirs, or desalination plants. It might be found in the air around us, captured by solar-powered innovation and delivered by entrepreneurs like Jeff who refuse to forget the people others leave behind.
Listen to the Full Episode
Ready to hear Jeff’s full story and insights? Listen to this episode of The Solar Coaster on your favorite podcast platform:
Connect with Jeff Szur and Altitude Water
Learn more about atmospheric water generation and Jeff’s mission:
- LinkedIn: Jeff Szur
- Website: Altitude Water
- Facebook: Altitude Water
- YouTube: Altitude Water Channel
- Instagram: @altdwater
- X/Twitter: @ALTDwater
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About The Solar Coaster Podcast
The Solar Coaster is a podcast that takes you on the wild ride through the solar industry, told by the people who live it every day. Hosted by Anna Covert—author, digital marketing expert, and founder of Covert Communication—each episode features candid conversations with solar professionals sharing their journeys, challenges, and victories.
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