Imagine being able to pull drinkable water right out of the air. A new startup, Zero Mass Water, has made this possible with a solar panel that produces several (4-10) litres of fresh clean water every single day. This device literally turns air into water.
“We’re accelerating water delivery from what is basically the Roman era into the 21st century.” – Friesen
It took a whole 7 years for the startup’s founder Cody Friesen, a materials scientist and associate professor at Arizona State University to develop the Source Hydropanel. Finally, after all their hard work, this magical thing is available for all.
“At the highest level, Zero Mass take[s] sunlight and air and we produce water,” Friesen said, as he showed The Verge the Source panels. “As you drill into that, the air part of that equation is applying air into the materials that like water. So in the same way that when you leave the lid off a sugar bowl the sugar bowl gets a little clumpy, that’s because that sugar likes the water in the air. Our materials do exactly that.”
How The Technology Works:
- The solar panel converts the sunlight into energy that heats a sponge-like material inside.
- That creates condensation.
- The condensation is collected in a 30-litre reservoir.
- Next the water is flowed through a mineral block that adds calcium and magnesium, and brings the PH up so it’s slightly alkaline. This enhances the purity and taste and is a perfect combination of electrolytes.
- It is then pumped directly to the water tap or to a refrigerated fill station.
This entire process is powered by solar panels, therefore it is a totally green technology.
SOURCE is a completely off-grid and self-contained technology that is creating drinking water from just sunlight and air. The company that produces this technology has one sole purpose: perfecting your water and the water of everyone on this planet. They are on a mission to make drinking water an unlimited resource, sustainably.
Friesen insists that Zero Mass has the most sustainable water supply explaining how:
“Today it takes far less energy (effectively none, since it’s entirely solar-powered) to create drinking water with Source than any other mechanism.”
The team that brings us Hydropanels first came together to dream about solving for water access, quality, and security – and now this is them acting on those dreams. They have already changed how people experience their drinking water worldwide.
By applying thermodynamics, materials science, and controls technology, SOURCE needs only sunlight and air to make drinking water each day at homes, schools, offices and more. These Hydropanels are transforming the human relationship with water and revolutionizing how people access their drinking water. No more plastic bottles or CO2 emissions from delivery trucks transporting the water bottles you have to buy. This is the greenest water source on the planet!
The company’s Guiding Principles are:
- Water Independence
- Truly Renewable Water
- Every Person, Every Place
- Perfecting Your Water
- Water Quality
At Zero Mass Water, they guarantee their technology makes the highest quality drinking water. So far it exceeds even the water standards at every location a SOURCE is installed which is in more than 15 countries on 5 continents.
Hydropanels are designed to protect water quality through five steps in your water’s journey:
- An integrated air filter keeps particulates and debris from finding their way into the Hydropanel;
- When extracting the water vapor from the air, SOURCE only attracts water molecules, leaving everything in the air behind;
- The conversion process inside the Hydropanel raises the dew point to drive condensation specifically for water;
- Water stored in your reservoir is protected by an integrated sterilisation system keeping the environment inside the reservoir clean and your water’s quality pristine;
- Finally, a polishing cartridge at the tap ensures no variation in quality between the reservoir and your tap.
Zero Mass Water installs panels where water is needed most. The company has been helping communities everywhere get clean water by partnering with organizations all around the world. Here are a few examples:
- The Samburu Girls Foundation – an NGO working in northern Kenya – has funded an installation to provide drinking water at a girl’s school. The girls here had to walk two miles to a river for water before so this installation of hydropanels was a life changer.
- At the Perth police force in the Western Outback in Australia some hydropanels were installed. They have proven to be very beneficial as drinking water here is scarce.
- Systems have been installed in areas that lack the infrastructure for drinking water like Ecuador, Jordan, Mexico, and the Philippines.
- Hydropanels were donated to Puerto Rico after hurricane Maria so that local residents could fill containers with potable water.
You can even donate towards helping poor regions getting SOURCE hydropanels on their website. Water scarcity is one of the greatest challenges facing the world today and Zero Mass Water is a solution that’s making liters of water appear out of thin air. That’s amazing!
The post Solar Powered Hydropanels Turn Air Into Drinking Water appeared first on Educate Inspire Change.