Progress in generating power coupled with atmospheric water harvesting

Abstract

The global scarcity of freshwater and energy, which is unevenly distributed across time and space, represents a significant challenge to sustainable development. Atmospheric water harvesting, a process that harvests moisture from the atmosphere, holds significant potential for alleviating freshwater shortages, while the energy generated during this process may also contribute to mitigating energy crises. The integration of energy harvesting and conversion with atmospheric water harvesting has increasingly attracted the attention of researchers. This review explores the potential for electricity generation through fog and absorption-based atmospheric water harvesting, while categorizing and summarizing the latest advancements in power generation technologies and mechanisms. Furthermore, it discusses the progress in research on the simultaneous harvesting of atmospheric water and electricity generation in detail. Finally, the challenges and opportunities in developing systems of atmospheric water harvesting and electricity conversion are presented. Strategies, such as the development of multifunctional integrated systems, are proposed to enhance the efficiency of simultaneous atmospheric water harvesting and electricity generation and to promote their practical applications.