Decentralized and all-weather freshwater production from air

We are developing sorbent-based water production from moisture in the air as a decentralized, all-weather approach to produce freshwater at the point of use, in any geography, and with costs approaching those of tap water (<$0.01/L).

Our solution utilizes a low-cost (<$1/kg), scalable sorbent capable of capturing extreme amounts of moisture, even in arid conditions (2–4 kg water/kg material at 30–70% relative humidity). This sorbent is integrated into a device that produces pure liquid water from moisture and is powered solely by sunlight heating. With water productivity of 1–2 L/m^2/day, it can potentially meet an individual’s drinking water needs.

The versatility and high purity of our approach could significantly reduce water consumption in water-intensive industrial sectors, by utilizing data center heat to produce water or generate high-purity water for electrochemical fuel synthesis.