Many buyers comparing marine watermakers fixate on one number: litres per hour. The bigger the better, right? Not necessarily. The real trick to comfortable, sustainable cruising or off-grid living isn’t maximum output — it’s balance: enough fresh water for your needs, at a power level your solar or battery system can handle. That’s exactly where the LEDI Scout shines.
Some portable watermakers boast 40 – 100 litres per hour. That sounds impressive until you realise how much power they draw — often 400–1,200 watts, or more, from either AC mains or petrol engines. Systems like these are over-engineered for most small cruisers, and they burn through energy, fuel, and space that could be used for… anything else.
The LEDI Scout deliberately takes a different approach.
It produces 10 – 20 litres per hour using only around 18 amps at 12 volts. That means it runs happily from solar or battery power, quietly and efficiently, without needing a generator. For a 9-metre sailboat or an off-grid caravan, that’s freedom — not a compromise.
Actual usage is far lower than most people expect:
Typical cruising couple: 30 – 50 L per day (drinking, cooking, quick rinses)
The Boat Galley, 2023
Comfortable ocean crossing: 60 – 80 L per day
Improve Sailing, 2024
Survival minimum: 3 – 5 L per person per day (just for hydration)
Eco-Sistems RO Guide
So for two people using about 60 L per day, the Scout 20 LPH covers daily needs in roughly three hours of runtime. Even the Scout 10 LPH handles that with a few extra hours — no generator, no noise, no fuel.
Reverse osmosis is energy-intensive by nature: it takes real pressure (typically 800–1,000 psi) to squeeze fresh water from seawater. Larger systems need proportionally larger pumps and motors, and that energy demand grows faster than the flow rate.
A study published in Energies (2021) found small-scale RO desalination averages 3–5 kWh per 1,000 L of product water — about 0.3–0.5 kWh for 100 L produced. The Scout’s ≈108 W draw means it sits near the theoretical efficiency curve, making it one of the most energy-frugal portable systems available.
That’s why you can pair the Scout with solar arrays or 12/24 V battery banks — the very power systems already standard on modern cruising yachts and caravans.
Water independence isn’t just about comfort; it’s about self-reliance without excess.
A low-power, moderate-output system like the Scout means:
Less fuel and emissions. No petrol engine required.
Smaller solar and battery setups. Lower daily kWh draw means lighter, cheaper infrastructure.
Quieter, cleaner operation. You can make water at anchor without disturbing the peace.
Longer component life. Pumps and membranes running at optimal pressure experience less wear.
In short: a Scout uses what it needs, and nothing more — the very definition of sustainable engineering.
Imagine a 10 m cruising yacht with 200 L of freshwater storage and 400 W of solar panels. Two people aboard use about 60 L per day.
A Scout 10 LPH produces 10 L/h × 6 h = 60 L /day.
Power draw = 240 W × 6 h = 1.4 kWh /day — roughly 30–40 % of the daily solar harvest.
A 40 LPH competitor producing the same 60 L in 1.5 h might draw 800W, too high for 12V and requires running generator, storing fuel, or motoring.
The Scout keeps energy steady and predictable — that’s what keeps your batteries happy and your cruising range unlimited.
Big numbers look good on brochures, but efficiency and independence win in the real world. The LEDI Scout’s 10–20 LPH output is precisely tuned for small crews and off-grid travellers who care about energy budgets, noise, and sustainability. It’s not about making as much water as possible — it’s about making enough water, anywhere, anytime, using the power you already have.
Lower output. Lower power. Lower impact.
That’s the LEDI Scout difference.