Clean drinking water produced by new solar panels

Designed for use in arid regions of the world, the solar panels absorb water from the air and clean it, producing a renewable source of drinkable water.

Produced by Zero Mass Water, Source solar panels absorb water from the air to produce completely clean drinking water. Available from a faucet on the back of each panel, one solar panel produces enough water to support a family of four. Providing people with ownership of their own water source could be an important step in resolving a variety of land ownership issues.

The panels use a special material to absorb air-borne moisture that is then cleaned using the electricity generated by the solar power. The potable water then gets pumped to the faucet. The Zero Mass water team believes that residents in more temperate climates will also be interested in using the panels. Recent funding awards are allowing the company to begin work on providing clean water to more than 100,000 refugee families in Jordon.

Access to clean water is an essential component of successful development, and researchers are continually looking at ways to help. A low-tech method that uses bubble wrap boils water with sunlight, and a chatbot helps global listeners realize the daily realities of living without clean water on tap. How else could renewable energy sources be adapted for dual-purpose use in less connected communities?