Let's Talk About Atmospheric Water Generation
How can we produce water from air to create a more sustainable future?
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TL;DR
🚰 Atmospheric water generators (AWGs) are devices that extract moisture from the air and convert it into usable water.
❌ Water generation can be relatively unpredictable due to varying relative humidity and temperatures.
💰 AWGs are not cheap from a capex perspective, but certain use cases outweigh the costs.
What is an atmospheric water generator (AWG)?
In most simplest of explanations, an AWG captures air from its surroundings and outputs drinkable water. I will get more into the “how” in the next section, so stay tuned.
AWGs can be as small as a coffee maker on the counter of your kitchen or as large as a shipping container — it depends on the use case and how much water you need to generate per day.
It is important to note that just because a specific AWG can generate up to X gallons per day, does not mean that it actually will. Factors such as relative humidity and temperature vastly impact the water output per day.
Most AWGs need at least 70-80% relative humidity in order to meet the maximum water output per day. If we take a look at this map below of relative humidity right now as I write this post, we can see that most of the cities across the US are well below the 70-80% threshold.
Being below the 70-80% does not mean there will be no water generated, it simply means if your machine CAN output 25 gallons/day, it might only output 5-10 gallons.
How does an AWG work?
Imagine you're outside on a hot day, and you start to notice tiny droplets of water forming on the outside of a cold drink. That's similar to how an AWG works.
An AWG is a machine that pulls air from the atmosphere around us. When warm air containing water vapor is brought into the AWG, it's cooled down quickly. This rapid cooling causes the water vapor in the air to condense, or turn back into liquid water, just like those droplets on your cold drink.
Once the water vapor condenses, it forms droplets of water that stick to a surface inside the AWG. This surface is usually very cold, like the outside of your cold drink. The droplets then collect and drip down into a container, where they're stored as clean, fresh water.
To further outline the process of AWG, I have broken it down into distinct steps:
Air Intake: The AWG draws air from the surrounding environment into the system using a fan or compressor.
Filtration: The incoming air passes through a series of filters to remove dust, particulates, and other contaminants. This step ensures that the water produced is clean and safe to drink.
Cooling: The filtered air is then cooled down to its dew point (air is saturated with moisture).
Condensation: As the air cools, water vapor in the air condenses into liquid water droplets on a chilled surface within the AWG.
Collection: The condensed water droplets drip down into a collection tray or reservoir where they are gathered and stored.
Purification: Before the water is dispensed for consumption, it will likely undergo UV sterilization, carbon filtration, or reverse osmosis to ensure its safety for drinking.
The only two inputs to the system are air and electricity. Electricity is mainly used for a few processes in water generation: air circulation, cooling system, and filtration/purification. Electricity tends to be grid-tied, but it is possible to leverage renewables such as solar or wind to power an AWG. Technology advancements in this space may eventually eliminate the need for electrical inputs altogether.
Where does AWG make sense?
AWG is not the most economical solution if you already have access to potable water because the price parity is not there. The best use case for AWG is the following: disaster relief, water-scarce regions, off-grid, and some industrials.
Let’s take a look at Flint, Michigan since the Flint water crisis was notable.
Right now, Flint has 70% relative humidity, which leads me to believe water generation could be closer to the maximum output of whichever system is in use.
NOTE: this could change over the course of the day, but let’s ignore that for simplicity’s sake.
The average household in Flint has 2.35 people, and the average person uses 60 gallons per day at home. With that in mind, the average household in Flint goes through almost 150 gallons per day. This gallon usage is in-line with most residential AWGs. Now, it is important to acknowledge that these systems are not cheap, but I see the potential for government subsidies for AWGs at home. I believe it makes sense because AWGs allow people to have water independence and not rely on water bottles being delivered, etc. when crisis hits.
Another impactful use case could be in locations that have extremely limited (if at all) access to water. As long as you can leverage solar or wind for the electricity input, you can power an AWG.
After countless hours of research on the space, I believe atmospheric water generation is a first step towards water independence. Meaning anyone can have access to potable water — the way it should be.
What are the pros and cons to AWG?
Pros
Clean, drinkable water can be generated from thin air
The only required input is electricity (and relative humidity)
Solutions are modular, so if you need more water, you just add an additional generator
Huge impact angle given its ability to provide water to communities that lack drinkable water (if not water altogether)
Cons
Gallons generated is dependent on relative humidity, so not all locations are fit for AWG
If the system is grid-tied, it might not necessarily be green
AWG is not a cost savings solution
AWG companies to watch (varying stages):
Aquaphant (Las Vegas, NV) - Produces 4.6 gallons of water per day but needs 80% relative humidity.
AquaPoro (Jordan) - At a low humidity (20%), this company can produce ~9 gallons of water and is able to produce more as relative humidity is increased.
Aquaria (Los Angeles, CA) - Able to generate up to 240 gallons per day.
Airwater Co. (Abu Dhabi) - Smallest product as of now can generate roughly 9 gallons per day and the largest product can generate 250 gallons per day.
GENAQ (Spain) - Can generate up to 1.1k gallons per day with its commercial product.
Green Technology Global (Mundelein, IL) - Offers residential and commercial-size AWGs.
HuProTec (Austria)- Able to generate 15 gallons at 40% relative humidity and up to 100 gallons at 80% relative humidity.
Hydronomy (Brooklyn, NY) - Offers off-grid and residential AWGs that start at 5 gallons per day.
SOURCE (Scottsdale, AZ) - Generates up to 6 bottles of water per day.
SkyH2O (Irvine, CA) - 30K gallons per day from the SkyH2O station once at scale.
Tsunami Products (Midland, TX) - Can generate 200 gallons per day at 80% relative humidity.
Vesi Water (New South Wales) - Able to produce 13 gallons of water per day in ideal conditions 70%+ relative humidity.