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Global potential for harvesting drinking water from air using solar energy

Author

Listed:
  • Jackson Lord

    (X, The Moonshot Factory)

  • Ashley Thomas

    (X, The Moonshot Factory)

  • Neil Treat

    (X, The Moonshot Factory)

  • Matthew Forkin

    (X, The Moonshot Factory)

  • Robert Bain

    (UNICEF)

  • Pierre Dulac

    (Google Inc.)

  • Cyrus H. Behroozi

    (X, The Moonshot Factory)

  • Tilek Mamutov

    (X, The Moonshot Factory)

  • Jillia Fongheiser

    (X, The Moonshot Factory)

  • Nicole Kobilansky

    (X, The Moonshot Factory)

  • Shane Washburn

    (X, The Moonshot Factory)

  • Claudia Truesdell

    (X, The Moonshot Factory)

  • Clare Lee

    (X, The Moonshot Factory)

  • Philipp H. Schmaelzle

    (X, The Moonshot Factory)

Abstract

Access to safely managed drinking water (SMDW) remains a global challenge, and affects 2.2 billion people1,2. Solar-driven atmospheric water harvesting (AWH) devices with continuous cycling may accelerate progress by enabling decentralized extraction of water from air3–6, but low specific yields (SY) and low daytime relative humidity (RH) have raised questions about their performance (in litres of water output per day)7–11. However, to our knowledge, no analysis has mapped the global potential of AWH12 despite favourable conditions in tropical regions, where two-thirds of people without SMDW live2. Here we show that AWH could provide SMDW for a billion people. Our assessment—using Google Earth Engine13—introduces a hypothetical 1-metre-square device with a SY profile of 0.2 to 2.5 litres per kilowatt-hour (0.1 to 1.25 litres per kilowatt-hour for a 2-metre-square device) at 30% to 90% RH, respectively. Such a device could meet a target average daily drinking water requirement of 5 litres per day per person14. We plot the impact potential of existing devices and new sorbent classes, which suggests that these targets could be met with continued technological development, and well within thermodynamic limits. Indeed, these performance targets have been achieved experimentally in demonstrations of sorbent materials15–17. Our tools can inform design trade-offs for atmospheric water harvesting devices that maximize global impact, alongside ongoing efforts to meet Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with existing technologies.

Suggested Citation

  • 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, 2021. "Global potential for harvesting drinking water from air using solar energy," Nature, Nature, vol. 598(7882), pages 611-617, October.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:598:y:2021:i:7882:d:10.1038_s41586-021-03900-w
    DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03900-w
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Shiyu Zhou & Xiaoqian Wang & Hanbing Jia & Jiying Liu, 2024. "Optimal Design of Air Treatment for an Adsorption Water-Harvesting System," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(14), pages 1-19, July.
    2. Yevheniia Varyvoda & Taylor Ann Foerster & Joona Mikkola & Matthew M. Mars, 2024. "Promising Nature-Based Solutions to Support Climate Adaptation of Arizona’s Local Food Entrepreneurs and Optimize One Health," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-22, April.
    3. Youhong Guo & Weixin Guan & Chuxin Lei & Hengyi Lu & Wen Shi & Guihua Yu, 2022. "Scalable super hygroscopic polymer films for sustainable moisture harvesting in arid environments," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-7, December.
    4. Varun Pratap Singh & Gaurav Dwivedi, 2023. "Technical Analysis of a Large-Scale Solar Updraft Tower Power Plant," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-28, January.
    5. Mengbo Zhang & Ranbin Liu & Yaxuan Li, 2022. "Diversifying Water Sources with Atmospheric Water Harvesting to Enhance Water Supply Resilience," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-17, June.
    6. Husam A. Almassad & Rada I. Abaza & Lama Siwwan & Bassem Al-Maythalony & Kyle E. Cordova, 2022. "Environmentally adaptive MOF-based device enables continuous self-optimizing atmospheric water harvesting," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.
    7. Lucia Cattani & Anna Magrini & Valentina Leoni, 2022. "Energy Performance of Water Generators from Gaseous Mixtures by Condensation: Climatic Datasets Choice," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(20), pages 1-24, October.
    8. Kaijie Yang & Tingting Pan & Nadia Ferhat & Alejandra Ibarra Felix & Rebekah E. Waller & Pei-Ying Hong & Johannes S. Vrouwenvelder & Qiaoqiang Gan & Yu Han, 2024. "A solar-driven atmospheric water extractor for off-grid freshwater generation and irrigation," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-9, December.
    9. Feng, Y.H. & Dai, Y.J. & Wang, R.Z. & Ge, T.S., 2022. "Insights into desiccant-based internally-cooled dehumidification using porous sorbents: From a modeling viewpoint," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 311(C).
    10. Tingxian Li & Minqiang Wu & Jiaxing Xu & Ruxue Du & Taisen Yan & Pengfei Wang & Zhaoyuan Bai & Ruzhu Wang & Siqi Wang, 2022. "Simultaneous atmospheric water production and 24-hour power generation enabled by moisture-induced energy harvesting," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-11, December.
    11. Ritwick Ghosh & Adrien Baut & Giorgio Belleri & Michael Kappl & Hans-Jürgen Butt & Thomas M. Schutzius, 2023. "Photocatalytically reactive surfaces for simultaneous water harvesting and treatment," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 6(12), pages 1663-1672, December.
    12. Wei Zhang & Yongzhe Chen & Qinghua Ji & Yuying Fan & Gong Zhang & Xi Lu & Chengzhi Hu & Huijuan Liu & Jiuhui Qu, 2024. "Assessing global drinking water potential from electricity-free solar water evaporation device," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.
    13. Xinge Yang & Zhihui Chen & Chengjie Xiang & He Shan & Ruzhu Wang, 2024. "Enhanced continuous atmospheric water harvesting with scalable hygroscopic gel driven by natural sunlight and wind," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.
    14. Tashtoush, Bourhan & Alshoubaki, Anas, 2023. "Atmospheric water harvesting: A review of techniques, performance, renewable energy solutions, and feasibility," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 280(C).
    15. Tong, Kangkang & Sun, Shuyu, 2024. "Multi-dimensional decoupling analysis in the context of energy use: Dynamic well-being, resource, and impact decoupling relationships in China," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 359(C).
    16. Chen, Zhihui & Deng, Fangfang & Yang, Xinge & Shao, Zhao & Du, Shuai & Wang, Ruzhu, 2024. "Highly efficient portable atmospheric water harvester with integrated structure design for high yield water production," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 293(C).
    17. He Shan & Chunfeng Li & Zhihui Chen & Wenjun Ying & Primož Poredoš & Zhanyu Ye & Quanwen Pan & Jiayun Wang & Ruzhu Wang, 2022. "Exceptional water production yield enabled by batch-processed portable water harvester in semi-arid climate," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.

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