Evaporation Power?

Study claims evaporation could provide 70 per cent of US energy; A new report from Columbia University has claimed that energy harvested from evaporation of water in US lakes and reservoirs could provide power for about 70 per cent of the country.

September 28, 2017 (The Engineer)

“…[An] ‘evaporation engine’ draws power from the expansion and contraction of bacterial spores in the presence of humidity. The spores are placed on plastic strips, and collectively these strips act like muscles, opening and closing a shutter to control humidity while also providing a continuous source of power…[In Potential for natural evaporation as a reliable renewable energy resource, researchers have calculated how much energy could theoretically be produced if evaporation engines were used on bodies of water across the US…[Not only could the technology provide more than two-thirds of the country’s power demands, it could also help save about 25 trillion gallons of water per year. Because it]packs more energy in warm and dry conditions,] drought-prone states like California, Nevada and Arizona could benefit most…[The energy generated through evaporation would also help smooth] the intermittency of other renewable sources such as solar and wind…” click here for more

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