To achieve a high efficiency of a solar still, heat losses from the sides and base should be minimized by adequate insulation to insure the storage of the absorbed thermal energy. The effect of insulation on the productivity of a basin type solar still is verified in this study. Solar stills with insulation thickness of 30, 60 and 100 mm are investigated and the results are compared with those obtained for a still without insulation. it was found that the insulation thickness has a significant impact on the productivity of the still up to a thickness of 60 mm. The insulation thickness could influence the productivity of the still by over 80%. A performance correlation for the effect of insulation on productivity is also developed. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.