SOURCE Global is one of several companies worldwide extracting water from the air, with the hope of helping water-scarce communities. However, there is a permanent twist in its technology. Named Hydropanels, its equipment is powered by built-in solar panels.
Wahid Fotuhi, Vice President of the company explains, “You are able to harvest water from the wind using solar power and nothing else, no need for electricity, (a) no grid required, no infrastructure required – It’s completely self-sufficient.” Presidents of Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Atmospheric water generators (AWGs), like SOURCE, are machines that produce potable water from the surrounding air. These devices have been around for a decade and have traditionally been based on condensation – the cooling of water vapor to collect water droplets.
However, this process can consume a lot of electricity and many of these early technologies only work in locations with high air humidity. These constraints prompted SOURCE to develop a more flexible and sustainable solution, formerly known as Zero Mass Water.
In Dubai, where the company’s largest water farm is located, it produces 1.5 million liters of water each year. SOURCE plans to create a plastic-free bottled water brand and sell it to hotels and resorts at the same price as other brands of bottled water.
SOURCE has installed its hydropanels around the world at hospitals, schools and work sites that have difficulty accessing water. It has also attracted commercial customers – particularly in countries catering to tourists in isolated landscapes such as the desert.
“In the Middle East, we have seen great interest in the hospitality sector as big brands look for more sustainable solutions for water to accommodate Millennials who are looking for demonstrated sustainability,” says Fotuhi.
Currently, SOURCE’s flagship hospitality offering is in a luxury desert camp in Dubai, where its hydropanels produce drinking water on site. Fotuhi believes this reflects the scalability of these water generators, which can serve as a single panel in a family home or as a number installed in large hotel resorts. Its next partnership will be in Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast, where a development company is aiming to build 18 hotels that will serve SOURCE’s waters.
Fighting water scarcity?
According to Keith Hays, vice president of Bluefield Research, a consulting firm that addresses water challenges, SOURCE’s design differs from other AWGs because it combines solar-based power supply and water capture mechanisms within a single structure, allowing Off-grid operation is enabled. “Other systems usually have a separate panel or connect to the grid,” he explains.
According to Hays, more than 2 billion people live in countries experiencing high water stress and the dozens of companies working on AWG hoping their equipment will help solve this crisis would be unlikely.
High upfront costs mean that AWGs take about 10 years to be cost-competitive, he says and they typically produce a fraction of the water that a well or seawater desalination system can supply.
In addition, Hayes says, AWG requires significant land and distribution networks that are not as ubiquitous as other water solutions. He believes that AWGs are more efficient when combined with other water supplies. “They can be seen as a complement to existing drinking water systems, reducing the plastic footprint and providing ancillary support,” he says.
This challenge is something that Fotuhi accepts, explaining that hydropanels need to be near a tap or bottling facility, and not every situation allows it. But he believes they offer clear environmental benefits.
“Given the savings from an environmental perspective and from a sustainability perspective, the value proposition remains very strong,” says Fotuhi.
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