SKY WTR: Canned Water From Air And Sunlight To Hit US Stores Soon (image:source.co/pages/sky-wtr)
Canned water made from air using sunlight is about to hit US stores soon. This sustainable solution, named SKY WTR, came from Source, a company based in Scottsdale, Arizona. It plans to go on sale in the US later this year.
As climate change is worsening the situation of global water crisis, SKY WTR gives a noteworthy alternative by extracting water directly from the air, the New Scientist reports.
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Canned water is a US$350 billion industry that depends on harvesting water from the ground. As per the reports, approximately 2,150 gigatons of groundwater have been drilled from the Earth. By the end of the decade, the freshwater demand likely to overtake supply by 40%.
The journey of the company started a decade ago with researchers at Arizona State University, who advanced the Hydropanel technology. These panels are similar to solar panels but produce clean water instead of electricity. They are powered by sunlight, where the panels use fans to draw in moisture-laden air, which is then absorbed by a water-absorbing or hygroscopic material. Sunlight is then used again to release this moisture in a concentrated air stream, which enables passive condensation of water inside the panel.
Each panel can bring about at least three liters of water per day, even in arid conditions like Arizona, ample enough to meet an individual’s daily needs. The water is highly pure and is mineralized. Besides, it is ozonated to ensure that it is safe to drink, the New Scientist reports.
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Source, launched in 2014 as Zero Mass Water, has implemented installations in 56 countries. The technology can be advanced to make it suitable for residential communities, hotels, schools, and remote worksites.
In Florida, Source has placed Hydropanels capable of producing 3,000 liters of water per day, which is bottled and sent to the US markets as SKY WTR. Also, the water will be offered in recyclable aluminium cans and bottles.
