As the world advances in the renewable energy field, largely due to necessity, further options are emerging all the time. While some forms of renewable energy are quickly and widely accepted, such as wind or solar, other forms of energy are not as readily thought to be viable. According to some researchers, a new form of energy may be viable through water in the air.
Doctor Fernando Galembeck recently unveiled his research in this field to the American Chemical Society. His research revolves around the generation of electricity through humidity in the air. Galembeck believes the electricity generated could one day be connected to electrical grids and used in humid climates.
Electricity generation through humid air involves the use of metals, with a variety able to be used for the purpose. Galembeck stated: “The work I’m presenting here shows that metals placed under a wet environment actually become charged.” The charges accumulate on the metals and would be able to be transferred to an electricity grid.
However, many argue that the energy generation is not viable, especially due to the minimal outputs currently calculated. According to research, the amount of energy accumulated would be 100 million times less than the energy generated through solar energy in an identically sized area. However, Galembeck believes that further research into the field may prove it to be invaluable to the renewable energy field.
A physicist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Marin Soljacic, has reviewed Galembeck’s work and believes it is not likely to be viable, at least for now, but should be explored further. Soljacic stated: “It really warrants further research and understanding what all the limitations of this are, how far it can go. […] We’re very pressed for finding new sources of renewable energy, I think it’s a bit early to discard this research.”
