Scientists at Princeton University, USA, have created a device that filters water through the use of solar energy, making it drinkable.
At Princeton University, in the USA, a group of scientists created a filter that uses solar energy to make drinking water. SAG (Solar Absorbent Gel) is a sponge that absorbs water at room temperature, which, when exposed to the sun, filters the water, retaining contaminants such as lead, oil and metal. According to scientists, this method can be used for at least ten cycles.
Filter through solar energy
The creation of US scientists is not only a solution with little impact on the environment and ecology, but also a low cost one that uses only solar energy, therefore, an excellent opportunity in developing countries where drinking water is scarce.
Rodney Priestley, scientist and corresponding author of the study, said that for him, the most fascinating aspect of this work was being able to operate completely off the grid, on a small and large scale. According to the scientist, the filter can also be used in less developed countries where low energy cost water purification is required.
Contract signed for the construction of new solar power plants in the state of São Paulo
Mayor Paulo Serra said that the city of Santo André, in the ABC Paulista region, could benefit from the construction of four new solar plants. The mayor of São Paulo said he had signed a contract with a company for the design and installation of a photovoltaic solar plant project and signed a contract with the company Rennove Engenharia e Consultoria Ltda, with a contract worth R$326.500.
Construction of 4 new solar power plants
The project is part of plans to improve the maintenance and expansion of the city's public lighting network. According to the Municipality of Santo André, in São Paulo, the goal is to install up to four solar plants with a generation capacity of 1,2 MWh in the city to reduce spending on inputs in the coming years.
The city hall of the state of São Paulo in a note said that “Although it is already widespread in the private sector, through the installation of solar panels on the roofs of homes and companies, the cogeneration of electricity from photovoltaic systems in the public sector is restricted to small projects isolated. The initiative of the Municipality of Santo André to install municipal power plants is unprecedented. Municipalities bear enormous costs of electricity to keep schools, hospitals, public buildings, public lighting systems, among others, in operation”.
This is not the only project by Paulo Serra's government involving power plants. Since the last government, the possibility of making PPP (public-private partnership) viable is very great, and its projects include the construction of waste incineration plants and the energy they generate. This measure can replace the limited useful life of urban waste landfills.
