Solar panels mining water from the air trialled in Australia

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
Each SOURCE hydropanel produces enough water to displace over 20,000 plastic water bottles over 15 years. Credit: ARENA

Solar hydropanels that can produce clean drinking water from the air alone, using a combination of solar PV and solar thermal technology, are to be trialled across Australia.

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) will provide AU$420,000 in funding to US-based Zero Mass Water to deploy 150 of its solar-powered SOURCE drinking water systems across multiple locations in Australia. The total project cost is AU$821,500.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Unlock unlimited access for 12 whole months of distinctive global analysis

Photovoltaics International is now included.

  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Unlimited digital access to the PV Tech Power journal catalogue
  • Unlimited digital access to the Photovoltaics International journal catalogue
  • Access to more than 1,000 technical papers
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

Instead of filtering or distributing mains water, SOURCE hydropanels produce pure water by harnessing the power of the sun and the moisture in the air. They require no external electricity or water to function and can produce up to 5 litres of clean drinking water on a standard day, depending on the climate, according to ARENA.

Moreover, each SOURCE hydropanel produces enough water to displace over 20,000 plastic water bottles over 15 years.

Zero Mass Water’s founder and chief executive Cody Friesen said: “SOURCE hydropanels provide a renewable, infrastructure-free water solution to the driest inhabited continent on earth.”

The trial will be rolled out in 150 sites across Australia including Sydney, Adelaide, Perth as well as regional towns and remote communities, across airports, cafes, community centres, commercial buildings and sustainable properties.

A third-party study will also be carried out in tandem to the trial to evaluate the environmental impacts of bottled water in Australia.

ARENA CEO Ivor Frischknecht said: “Zero Mass Water’s project will create a product that offers a new application and market opportunity for the solar industry in Australia. Using a combination of solar PV with solar thermal technology, SOURCE’s ability to create clean drinking water could be utilised to achieve positive solutions around water supply.

“The potential benefits of this technology to the environment are important. This pilot project can produce reliable drought-resistant water sources to remote communities while simultaneously reducing the amount of plastic bottles that end up in landfill.”

Read Next

July 1, 2025
A five-year research initiative is underway in Australia to test the viability of floating solar systems on irrigation dams.
June 30, 2025
Australian module manufacturer Tindo Solar has secured a 30MW solar module supply agreement to power Australia's first "net zero pipeline”.
June 26, 2025
PV solar cell manufacturer Halocell Energy has launched its first perovskite-based product called the Halocell Ambient Modules.
June 25, 2025
JinkoSolar has submitted a 133.76MWc solar-plus-storage project in New South Wales to the federal government under the EPBC Act.
June 25, 2025
Australia’s National Electricity Market (NEM) achieved a new record high for solar PV and wind generation at 12,463MW.
June 25, 2025
The New South Wales government has earmarked AU$2.1 billion (US$1.36 billion) for transmission infrastructure to connect its Renewable Energy Zones (REZ) and support utility-scale renewable and energy storage projects.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Media Partners, Solar Media Events
July 2, 2025
Bangkok, Thailand
Media Partners, Solar Media Events
September 2, 2025
Mexico City, Mexico
Solar Media Events
September 16, 2025
Athens, Greece
Solar Media Events
September 22, 2025
Bilbao, Spain
Solar Media Events
September 30, 2025
Seattle, USA