A future in which everyone, thanks to renewable sources, will be able to have access to energy in a more democratic way, is almost a dream, especially when one thinks of the inequality of access to resources such as drinking water. At Zero Mass Water they believed in this dream and developed a product that allows you to use solar panels to generate water independently.
A future in which everyone, thanks to renewables, will be able to access energy in a more democratic way, it's almost a dream, especially when you think about unequal access to resources such as drinking water. A Zero Mass Water they believed in this dream and developed a product that allows you to use the solar panels to generate water independently.
Index
Too many people still lack access to safe drinking water
We know that living in areas of the planet where aqueducts work is a privilege. In many, too many, areas of the world there are still those who walk miles every day to get to drinking water, or even those who still die of thirst.
There are those who use drinking water to irrigate their fields, or those who have their own wells, there are those who waste a lot of it at the same time, but we all have a problem in common: there are few alternatives to obtain drinking water by self-producing it, unless a very high cost can be sustained. But technological innovation and some brilliant ideas can help us have more control over the water supplies we have access to. In other words, potentially, thanks to some systems, we can all get drinking water without buying it.
Source, the solar panel that generates water
La Zero Mass Water, a spin-off of the University of Arizona, has developed a "solar panel that produces potable water", which requires no wires or connections. And it's not just a project that works on paper, the system has already been installed since 2015 in some test areas.
The idea was born thinking of people who live in areas where the necessary infrastructure is lacking to guarantee continuous supply. “Drinking water is a fundamental human right. We want to create products that can guarantee this right ”, they say from Zero Mass also on Facebook.
READ also:
- Making seawater drinkable thanks to graphene (video)
- World water day: how to reduce water consumption in 10 steps
- We help Mwalua, who brings water to Kenya's thirsty animals every day (photos)
"Source" measures approximately 2,8 square meters and generates electricity thanks to a solar panel. Part of the electricity is stored in a battery, while the other part is used to trigger a condensation and evaporation cycle that it allows to obtain from 2 to 5 liters of water per day. Then the water is stored in a 30 liter tank and they come added mineral salts for it to taste. Finally, the water can be fed to a tap. Of course, by installing more units it is possible to obtain larger quantities of water.
The democratization of access to water
Maintenance costs are relatively low, only one air filter and one mineral cartridge need to be changed every 5 years. Prices are around $ 4.800, a high cost for those who really struggle to have drinking water available every day in at least minimal quantities. But by accessing the Source website, a special condition is discovered which reads as follows: "When you buy Source you take possession of the water and share the cost of a second panel with us, making it accessible to a family without water available". It means that part of the price goes to cover part of the costs for a second panel, in this way the company is able to concretely help those in difficulty. This sounds a little closer to Zero Mass Water's goal: the democratization of access to natural resources.
Anna Tita Gallo
