Extracting Energy from the Air

Long the domain of science fiction, technology that extracts energy from the air itself has taken a few small steps toward reality. First emerging in 2020, "air generator" technology is based on the same principle behind clouds and the formation of lightning by capitalizing on the latent energy in ambient humidity.Recent innovationshave successfully demonstrated this technology with common porous materials (such as wood), and at larger scales than previously shown. These "larger-scale" demonstrations are relative, however, with one prototype generating nearly enough power to light just a single pixel. There are major challenges of scale, cost, and long-term reliability as the technology is far more efficient in more humid environments. Nevertheless, future developments and the deployment of this technology at scale could signal major energy implications for the future.