Canned water distilled from the air will be available to buy in the US later this year, in an effort to promote solar-powered “hydropanels” that provide an off-grid method of producing drinking water.
The panels, created by Arizona-based firm Source, use solar energy to power fans, which draw water vapour from the air. A water-absorbing substance, known as a desiccant, traps the moisture, before solar energy from the panel releases the moisture into a collection area within the panel.