One Box. Solar Power. Two Essential Resources.
The engineering behind Ice in a Box — and the lineage of “box” projects it continues.
From sunlight to ice and safe water
Ice in a Box combines three proven technologies — solar power, desalination, and ice production — inside a single modular, transportable unit.
1. Solar Generation
An on-site solar array captures the abundant sunlight of Baja California Sur, generating clean electricity to run the entire system — no diesel generator, no fuel deliveries.
2. Desalination
Solar power drives a desalination unit that converts seawater into safe, good-quality fresh water — addressing San Evaristo’s drinking-water shortage directly at the source.
3. Ice Making
A dedicated share of the fresh water is directed to on-site ice-making equipment, giving fishers a reliable, affordable ice supply without the drive to La Paz.
4. Community Water Access
The remainder of the desalinated water is distributed for drinking and household use — the non-negotiable condition Steve Bender attached to the project from day one.
Built on a proven design philosophy
Steve Bender is well known for engineering self-contained, deployable humanitarian infrastructure — starting with Doc in a Box, a mobile aid clinic created for rural South Africa, and continuing through Dental in a Box and Vision in a Box, each extending essential services to underserved communities in a compact, mobile form.
Ice in a Box follows the same principle: engineer the solution as a self-contained modular unit that can be fabricated in one location, shipped anywhere, and deployed with minimal on-site construction — making it practical for remote communities with limited infrastructure.
Fabricated by GivePower in Austin, Texas
After designing the first prototype, Steve brought in GivePower — a nonprofit with years of experience deploying solar-powered Solar Water Farms in communities around the world. GivePower’s team is producing the Ice in a Box unit at their facility in Austin, Texas, before it is transported to San Evaristo, Mexico for installation.
GivePower has helped improve the lives of millions of people worldwide through solar water and power projects — expertise that made them the natural partner to help take Ice in a Box from prototype to working reality.
Why this matters beyond San Evaristo
Because the system is modular and doesn’t depend on grid power, it can be adapted for coastal and rural communities facing similar challenges — which is exactly what’s starting to happen.