Engineering and Technology

Global potential for harvesting drinking water from air using solar energy

J. Lord, A. Thomas, et al.

Explore how solar-driven atmospheric water harvesting could provide safe drinking water for up to a billion people, addressing a global challenge affecting over 2.2 billion. This groundbreaking study conducted by Jackson Lord and team showcases the potential of continuous cycling devices and their role in achieving Sustainable Development Goals.

00:00

Playback language: English

Index

Abstract

Access to safely managed drinking water (SMDW) remains a global challenge, affecting 2.2 billion people. Solar-driven atmospheric water harvesting (AWH) devices with continuous cycling may offer a solution, but questions remain about their performance due to low specific yields (SY) and low daytime relative humidity (RH). This study assesses the global potential of AWH, finding that it could provide SMDW for a billion people. Using Google Earth Engine, a hypothetical 1-meter-square device is modeled, demonstrating that targets could be met with continued technological development. The tools developed can inform designs maximizing global impact and supporting Sustainable Development Goals.

Publisher

Nature

Published On

Oct 27, 2021

Authors

Jackson Lord, Ashley Thomas, Neil Treat, Matthew Forkin, Robert Bain, Pierre Dulac, Cyrus H. Behroozi, Tilek Mamutov, Jillia Fongheiser, Nicole Kobilansky, Shane Washburn, Claudia Truesdell, Clare Lee, Philipp H. Schmaelzle

Related Publications

Explore these studies to deepen your understanding of the subject.

Engineering and Technology

Steam recovery from flue gas by organosilica membranes for simultaneous harvesting of water and energy

N. Moriyama, A. Takeyama, et al.

Engineering and Technology

Shadow enhanced self-charging power system for wave and solar energy harvesting from the ocean

Q. Zhang, Q. Liang, et al.

Engineering and Technology

Global land and water limits to electrolytic hydrogen production using wind and solar resources

D. Tonelli, L. Rosa, et al.

Environmental Studies and Forestry

Coagulation of trace arsenic and cadmium from drinking water using titanium potassium oxalate

J. Zhou, Y. Liu, et al.

Listen, Learn & Level Up

Over 10,000 hours of research content in 25+ fields, available in 12+ languages.

No more digging through PDFs, just hit play and absorb the world's latest research in your language, on your time.

listen to research audio papers with researchbunny