https://www.businessinsider.com/zero-mass-water-solar-panels-solution-water-crisis-2019-1
[links and images in online article]
These $2,000 solar panels pull clean drinking water out of the air, and
they might be a solution to the global water crisis
Aria Bendix
2019-01-08
Zero Mass Water produces solar panels that pull water out of the
air, filter it, and deliver it to your home faucet.
The startup, which is backed by a $1 billion fund led by Bill Gates
and Jeff Bezos, recently created a new sensor that allows you to monitor
the quality of your water.
The company sees its technology as a way to help solve the global
water crisis, which has left more than 2 billion people without access
to safe drinking water in their homes.
The global water crisis has wreaked havoc on communities around the
world, from homes in Flint, Michigan, to megacities like Tokyo and São
Paulo.
The United Nations estimated that 2.1 billion people live without safe
drinking water in their homes — a situation with severe health
implications that can also limit economic prosperity.
Citizens with access to clean water have a better chance of escaping
poverty, fending off disease, and pursuing an education.
As the crisis escalates, many billionaire investors and tech companies
have jumped at the chance to get involved. In September, a $1 billion
fund led by Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, and other investors helped finance
the efforts of Zero Mass Water, a startup making solar panels that pull
clean drinking water from the air.
The panel arrays, known as Source, use sunlight to harvest water from
air vapor. The harvested vapor is then sterilized and turned to liquid,
which is stored in a reservoir that connects to your home faucet.
For $2,000 (plus around $500 for installation), Source can deliver
about 2 to 5 liters of water daily. That's the equivalent of up to 10
water bottles.
Since launching the product in 2015, Zero Mass Water has gone on to
install its panels in 18 different countries, from an orphanage in
Lebanon to multimillion-dollar mansions in California. The product is
available to order online, but Zero Mass Water also works with
developers, local governments, and nonprofits to deliver Source to
at-risk communities.
Earlier this week, the startup unveiled a new sensor that allows
customers to monitor the quality and safety of their drinking water.
This data is then aggregated into a daily report, which is available on
the Zero Mass Water app.
At a time when even the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) can't
say for sure if your water is safe to drink, access to real-time data is
critical.
In many cases, people who are worried about the quality of their water
resort to purchasing plastic water bottles. Not only is this bad for the
environment, but it's also not much better than drinking out of the tap.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, "there are no requirements
that bottled water quality data be reported to any federal agency or to
the public" in the US. Even bottles with the label "purified water" can
be treated in several different ways.
In an interview with Business Insider, the famed clean-water advocate
Erin Brockovich advised consumers to "use your own common sense" when it
comes to determining the safety of tap and bottled water.
"With water, we just sort of look at it, and, if it's approximately
clear, we drink it," said Cody Friesen, a material scientist and the CEO
at Zero Mass Water. "People are trying to find that next level of
security."
The cost of water bottles can also add up over time. Customers with a
Source panel array wind up spending far less than those who purchase
plastic water bottles, Friesen said.
He also said the solution isn't as simple as purchasing a countertop
water filter. While these devices may improve the taste of water,
Friesen said, most are not successful at removing toxins like lead and
arsenic.
Source panels also last much longer — around 20 years.
Because of this, Friesen sees his company's technology as a solution for
water crises around the world, including in poverty-stricken areas in
Morocco, Egypt, and India.
Rather than replacing lead pipes or rolling out flush toilets, Zero Mass
Water tackles the pressing need to disseminate clean drinking water to
those without immediate access.
"Imagine if you could perfect water anywhere in the world without
infrastructure in the driest deserts and wettest jungles," Friesen said.
"With [our] sensors, we're about to close the loop on knowing that water
is fine."