Zero Mass Water uses some nifty science to squeeze potable water from the air.
Using solar power, a single system can produce enough drinking water for two to three people each day–even in desert conditions.
"The problem statement was: How can we leapfrog infrastructure, just as cell phones do?"
Friesen says.
The solar panel converts sunlight to energy, which heats the material inside and creates condensation.
Minerals are added to improve taste, and ozone is added to maintain purity.
Then the water is pumped directly to a household tap or a refrigerator’s fill station.
Because the unit has its own solar panel, everything occurs off the grid.
A fan sucks air from the outside world and blows it through the material, which collects water at 20,000 times the concentration of vapor in the air.
Now, other students will follow in his footsteps: Several elementary schools in Arizona have installed Source panels to supply their water fountains.