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Where do these 'hydropanels' get clean drinking water?

Answer: Out of thin air.

Australia is about to get solar-powered hydropanels created by Zero Mass Water, a startup in the U.S., that generate clean water from the atmosphere. Some 150 panels will be installed in major cities throughout the country in a pilot program funded by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).

The panels work by putting the surrounding air through a filter that attracts water molecules. When first absorbed, the water is in vapor form, but after placing it in an airtight container, the system can convert it to its liquid form before depositing it in a reservoir. And since it came straight out of the air, it is clean and ready to drink.

“Zero Mass Water’s ‘hydropanel’, called Source, creates clean drinking water from sunlight and air, so that every person in nearly every climate and corner of the world can produce their own water,” the startup’s CEO Cody Friesen told Digital Trends. “It’s that simple — if the sun is shining, Source makes drinking water.”

Kate is a senior copy editor in Northern California. She holds a bachelor's degree in English with a minor in professional writing from the University of California, Davis.