They’re similar to solar panels, but instead of producing energy, they generate water.
Hydropanels from Source Global produce water out of thin air and transport it to where it is most needed. Cody Friesen, the company’s CEO, devised the panels in 2014 while teaching at Arizona State University’s Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering.
He transformed the science into Source Global a year later. The panels for the start-up cost around $2,000 each.
“We can make ideal drinking water practically anyplace on the earth” by combining sunshine and air, according to Friesen. “So we take water, which has historically been humanity’s greatest issue, and transform it into a renewable supply that is virtually flawless everywhere.”
The hydropanels at Source collect water vapor from the air and compress it into a form 10,000 times more concentrated than the atmosphere. The device transforms the molecules into liquid water using the sun’s heat, which is collected in a reservoir inside the panel and then discharged as clean water.
Friesen had constructed 40 hydropanels in Kenya by 2018, where members of the Samburu Girls Foundation faced daily risk on their quest for water. They now have access to their own water supply.
“We can now manufacture ideal water at home, at school, and in your community in a way that truly brings it into the twenty-first century,” Friesen said.
Hydropanels from Source have been implemented in 450 projects in 52 countries. Breakthrough Energy Ventures, BlackRock, Duke Energy, and the Lightsmith Group are among the investors who contributed $150 million to the company.
In locations like India, where an estimated 800,000 communities lack clean drinking water, this type of technology is badly required. According to the World Health Organization, “half of the world’s population will be in water challenged areas” by 2025.
There’s also a domestic requirement. According to Friesen, there are 1.5 million miles of lead pipes still in the ground in the United States, and roughly 750 water main breaks occur every day. He stated that the commercial opportunity is immense.