THUWAL, SAUDI ARABIA — Researchers in Saudi Arabia have modified traditional solar panels into a system that cogenerates both electricity and clean water.<br /><br />Water and energy production are intertwined — a connection known as the water-energy nexus. Cosmos Magazine reports that water is used to produce energy, and in turn, a significant amount of energy is needed to produce clean drinking water.<br /><br />According to Peng Wang of the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, solar panels only convert 20% of the light they absorb into electricity; the remaining 80% is released into the air.<br /><br />To address this, university researchers have designed a system that can use this waste heat to generate fresh, clean water.<br /><br />The system is made up of a three-layer distillation system attached to the underside of a solar panel.<br /><br />Waste heat from the panel is directed to the uppermost layer, where it vaporizes seawater. The vapor passes through a porous membrane to the second layer, where it condenses as freshwater. Heat produced during condensation passes through a thermal conduction layer, where the energy is recycled to purify more water.<br /><br />The stacked system was able to produce 1.64 liters of water per square meter of solar panel surface each hour.<br /><br />According to the researchers, it's more than double the output of more traditional solar stills. The panel's electricity output was also unaffected by the distillation going on underneath.
