Less Obvious Sources: Prize Money and Water

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“Water, water, everywhere,

And all the boards did shrink

Water, water, everywhere,

Nor any drop to drink.”

Samual Taylor Coleridge

Rime of the Ancient Mariner

In writing the Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Coleridge probably thought little of how often his words might be quoted.  For those who live in regions where water is scarce, the lamentation for lack of drinking water by Coleridge’s mariner is an everyday occurrence.  The United Nations estimates about 1.2 billion people or about a fifth of the world’s population live without adequate water supplies.  Another 500 million currently have enough water, but appear at risk of losing some or all of their potable water supplies.

Truly there is water everywhere, but little is suitable for drinking.  The salty seas take up about 97% of the earth’s water supplies.  That leaves only about 3% of all water in a fresh state suitable to drinking.   Even much of that is beyond our reach in glaciers and icebergs.  That leaves precious little fresh water below ground, in lakes and rivers and the atmosphere  -  some in not easily accessible places. 

Less Obvious Water Sources

For the most part thirsty humans and animals have focused on the most obvious water bodies such as lakes, ponds and underground aquifers. Dire need is forcing a search for ways to get water from other less obvious sources.

Architect David Hertz and his partners have developed a system to snatch water right out of the air.  Hertz’s company, Studio of Environmental Architecture in California, is focused on creating green buildings, so it is no surprise that Hertz has an interest in the elements.  Basically, the Skywater system creates rainstorms in a container by heating wood chips to the right temperature to cause condensation of moisture in the air and the organic fuel.  As the condensation is collected ozone is pumped through the water to purify the water before storage. 

The system is based in part on a smaller apparatus that had previously been created by Hertz’s partner Richard Groden.  At the core of the system is a patented thermodynamic process called adiabatic distillation, in which there is no heat transfer in or out of the system.  The system recreates the dew point, which is nature’s thermostatic trigger for condensing water in the atmosphere.

Less Obvious Financing Source

Calling themselves the Skywater Alliance, Hertz’s group sought financial support from an unusual source.  The group entered the Xprize for Water Abundance competition, edging out over 90 other inventors for $1.5 million in prize money.  The Xprize Foundation awards seventeen different prizes in nine categories aimed at bringing about a safer, healthier and more sustainable world.  Since inception in 1994, Xprize has awarded over $140 million in prize money. 

The Skywater Alliance is using its award to commercialize the Skywater system.  Three different systems have been capable of producing fresh water from 100 to 375 liters per day.  Hertz’s group expects the size alternatives to make the system versatile enough for the home, office or commercial settings.  The largest of the three systems is designed for lower power requirements and could be well suited for remotely located sites for solar, wind or biofuel renewable energy production.

Disfrutar de Beber!

Neither the author of the Small Cap Strategist web log, Crystal Equity Research nor its affiliates have a beneficial interest in the companies mentioned herein.