When you first learned that the air around us contains water, did you question your teacher about drinking it?
Water-Gen, a startup hailing from Israel, has come up with a unique gadget that can convert thin air into pure, drinking water – efficiently. The Atmospheric Water Generation Unit, aptly named by the manufacturers, works on the principle of a regular air-conditioner. It absorbs the surrounding air, cools it, and filters the liquid to produce clean water. The fascinating secret that makes the entire process highly efficient is in the machine’s ability to recycle the cold residue air as well, generating more water than a traditional AC.
In statistical terms, the Atmospheric Water Generation Unit can yield close to 450 gallons of unadulterated water every single day. And would you believe me if I told you that a measly 8 cents are expended to generate a whole gallon of water? On an average, the machine consumes just about 310 watt-hours of energy to produce one liter of the life-giving liquid.
The contraption is available in affixed as well as mobile models. The affixed model weighs around 1100 lbs, and retails at $30,000. Its mobile counterpart, on the other hand, can be easily carried in a medium-sized vehicle, since it weighs just about 175 lbs. It would cost you around $18,000 for the basic model.
The unit’s singular efficiency is usually preferred by hardcore camping professionals and military personnel. Currently, armies from more than seven major countries are assessing this product. Furthermore, with over 780 million people lacking access to clean drinking water, the CEO of Water-Gen, Arye Kohavi, has stated that this could be an immediate solution to water insecurity.