An industrial water generator is a serious piece of plant: it needs a three-phase supply, weighs 750 kg or more, and runs around the clock. Here is what the SkyTap 1000L and 5000L really cost, use and produce, so you can budget properly before you ask for a quote.

The two industrial units

1000L pricing per machine: R450,000 for a single unit, R425,000 each for 2–4 units, and R395,000 each for 5 or more. Prices are for the unit only.

What you pay on top of the machine

• Import (DDP): sea freight, customs clearance, duties and 15% import VAT. It is quoted exactly for your site and order size.
• Delivery to site by truck, plus forklift or crane offloading.
• Installation: a three-phase electrical connection by a registered electrician (with a Certificate of Compliance), plumbing to your storage tanks, and a ventilated room or shelter.
• Power: grid, generator or solar with batteries (see our solar sizing guide).

Real output: size for your driest month

The rated figure is measured at 30°C and 80% humidity, a hot, humid day. Output falls as air gets drier and cooler. For a single 1000L unit:

If you need 1,000 litres every day inland, plan on two to four 1000L units, or one 5000L. On the coast, one 1000L comes close. Our regional humidity guide explains the curve.

Running cost

At rated conditions the 1000L uses about 209 Wh per litre. At an assumed commercial electricity rate of R3 per kWh, that is about R0.63 per litre in humid conditions, rising to R1.50–R2.50 per litre in very dry weather, when the compressor works longer for less water. On your own solar, the marginal cost is far lower once the system is paid off.

1000L units or one 5000L?

• Several 1000L units: modular, so you can start small and add units. Production continues if one is being serviced, and units can be switched on one by one to match solar output.
• One 5000L: a single installation to manage and a slightly lower price per litre of capacity, but production stops entirely during servicing and it needs a single 46 kW supply.
• Above 5,000 L/day: installations are built from several 5000L units working together, quoted per project.

Water quality

Industrial units filter the condensed water through sediment, carbon and fine filtration and sterilise it with UV, and an optional remineralisation stage adds minerals for taste. If the water is sold, bottled or served to the public, it must be tested by an accredited laboratory. See our guide to starting a bottled water business.

Questions

How much does an industrial atmospheric water generator cost in South Africa?

The SkyTap 1000L costs from R395,000 per machine (5+ units), R425,000 each for 2–4 and R450,000 for one. The 5000L starts from R1,550,000. Prices are unit only; import including 15% import VAT, delivery and installation are quoted per project.

How much power does a 1000 litre water generator need?

About 8.7 kW of three-phase power while running, roughly 209 Wh per litre at rated conditions, or up to about 210 kWh per day at full production.

Will a 1000L unit make 1,000 litres a day in Gauteng?

Not every day. Expect about 550–800 litres on a typical summer day and about 190–375 litres in the driest winter months. Size your system for the dry months.

Sources and assumptions. Output and power figures are the manufacturer's tested values for SkyTap units (1000L: about 1,000 L/day at 30°C and 80% RH, 600 L/day at 27°C and 60% RH, 135 L/day at 25°C and 30% RH, 8.7 kW). Electricity costs and solar yields are planning assumptions stated in the text, not quotes. Prices are SkyTap's published unit prices at the time of writing and are confirmed in a written quotation.

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