For many people around the world, drinking water is a concern. For some, there is no infrastructure to provide water clean enough to drink. For others, the infrastructure isn't maintained or has purposely been let to degrade. No matter the scenario, an improved drinking source can make life better and more convenient. The most efficient way to accomplish this is by using an integrated hydro panel from Zero Mass Water.
The company offers two different solutions. The consumer product is called Rexi and looks just like a standard solar panel, and are installed on top of the house. These panels use the electricity generated by the solar panel on top to produce water directly out of the air. The water is then stored and made available inside the house through its own, unique plumbing. The standard installation runs the water to a separate faucet in the kitchen in one of the accessory slots.
But, producing water isn't the same as producing clean, drinkable water. Normally, drinking water has certain minerals in it, which is what gives it a taste. Admit it - you've got your favorite brand of bottled water. That's because each brand has its own mineral makeup. Rexi is no different, as the system integrates a mineral mix after the water is cleaned. It makes the water taste great, even for people who normally don't enjoy drinking water.
In addition to the Rexi, Zero Mass Water also produces systems for entire communities. They call these large arrays Fields, and can be built in varying sizes. At CES, we saw a small implementation of 10 panels installed in the courtyard in front of the Central Hall and got to taste the water, as well.
For more information about Zero Mass Water's hydro panels, check out the company's website.
Interview by Scott Ertz of F5 Live: Refreshing Technology and Christopher Jordan of The Talking Sound.
Scott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.