In addition to providing environmentally friendly energy,
solar panels usually generate additional heat that is of no use. But now
scientists have developed a new design that can use this useless heat for
another purpose, and that is to collect water from the atmosphere. Under the
new system, a special gel is applied to the solar panels which collect water
vapor in the air. As the excess heat touches the gel of the panels, a
moisture-like substance escapes into a metal box, and the gas inside it turns
it into water droplets. 


solar panel


The research team aims to provide low-cost clean water
and off-grid electricity. Especially for residents of areas where the weather
is often dry. “Our goal is to create a common system of clean energy,
water, and food production,” said Peng Kongo, an environmental engineer
and research expert at King Abdullah University in Saudi Arabia. Especially the
water forming part of our design makes it different from other devices with
other Engro photonics technology. According to researchers, these solar panels
will also help solve global health problems due to their ability to produce
water. 

According to a report by Orlando Data in 2019, poor
quality water causes 1.23 million deaths every year. Especially for those who
are living in poverty. Researchers say access to clean water and low-cost
energy for every inhabitant of the earth is part of the UN’s development goals.
We hope that our design will make it possible to supply electricity to homes
and water to crops. Saudi experts’ solar panel system is based on several
layers. The first layer is a hydrogel on top of the solar panel which is also
known for its ability to collect water. Contact lenses, for example, are also
made of hydrogel. This gel keeps the surface of the lens moist and therefore
does not cause itching in the eyes. Researchers have developed a special type
of hydrogel for their solar panels, which can hold water vapor in it from the
surrounding air. After heating, the gel begins to release water vapor into a
large metal box at the bottom.

The gas there converts it into water droplets, while
hydro-gel also increases the efficiency of solar panels by about 10%, which
experts say is a bonus. This is because it absorbs the excess heat of the gel
panels, which lowers its temperature. The researchers also developed a
prototype version of their system to prove it, and it was tested in Saudi
Arabia for two weeks when the weather in Saudi Arabia is very hot. A total of
1519 watts of electricity was generated from a solar panel the size of a
classroom desk, while 2 liters of water were also produced from the air.
According to the researchers, 60 children were given water in a plastic box
with these 2 liters of water, out of which 57 plants grew up to 7 inches. This
model is now being tested on a larger scale by researchers. So that more
electricity and water can be obtained. “Our design uses environmentally
friendly energy that is wasted to create water from the atmosphere, which will
help small-scale farming,” he said”.