SOURCE’s name is written in bold letters. And the Arizona company has a product to brag about.
The SOURCE Hydropanel is touted to be capable of producing clean, sustainable drinking water from sunlight and thin air.
The technology was invented at Arizona State University by the company’s CEO. The hydropanels generate an average of 3-5 liters (or up to 1.3 gallons) of clean drinking water daily. In addition, they can operate independently of existing infrastructure, which is helpful in many parts of the US.
“The challenges with water around the world are dramatic,” said Cody Friesen, CEO of SOURCE. “We aim to make safe water an unlimited resource around the world.”
The entire concept sounds too perfect to be true. However, it is a four-stage process. For starters, the hydropanel draws in ambient air via fans and gathers water vapor from it on a hygroscopic substance that can absorb moisture.
The hydropanel uses heat from the sun to turn water vapor collected into liquid water, which is then purified. The pure water is mineralized with magnesium and calcium to produce an optimum flavor profile.
Finally, sensors in each hydropanel monitor and optimize water quality.
Over the course of its 15-year lifespan, one panel is said to be able to reduce the need for more than 54,000 single-use plastic water bottles. And that’s something to applaud.
SOURCE is active in 50 countries worldwide. SOURCE is also used in a church in Florence, South Carolina, over 500 residences in the Navajo Nation, and a village of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, Oregon.