www.cnbc.com Open in urlscan Pro
104.70.74.234  Public Scan

Form analysis
0 forms found in the DOM

Text Content

Business News and Finance
VIEW IN APP
MarketsBusinessInvestingTechPoliticsSelectMake It

Close the sidebar

WATCH LIVE
Clean Start


BILL GATES AND BLACKROCK ARE BACKING THE START-UP BEHIND HYDROPANELS THAT MAKE
WATER OUT OF THIN AIR

Published Mon, Mar 28 2022 5:16 PM EDTUpdated Mon, Mar 28 2022 8:05 PM EDT
Diana Olick
@DianaOlick@DianaOlickCNBC@in/dianaolick
WATCH LIVE
KEY POINTS
 * Cody Friesen founded Source Global in 2015 to get clean water where it's most
   needed.
 * Source's hydropanels are now installed in 52 countries in 450 separate
   projects.
 * Investors include Bill Gates' Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Blackrock and
   Duke Energy.



They're like solar panels, except instead of electricity, they produce water.

Source Global's hydropanels create water out of thin air and bring it where it's
most needed. CEO Cody Friesen invented the panels in 2014 at Arizona State
University's Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, where he's on the faculty.



A year later, he turned the science into Source Global. The start-up's panels
cost about $2,000 a piece.

"We take sunlight and air and we can produce perfect drinking water essentially
anywhere on the planet," Friesen said. "And so we take water that has
historically been probably humanity's greatest challenge and turn it into a
renewable resource that is perfect essentially everywhere."

Source's hydropanels take in water vapor from the air and pack it into a form
that's about 10,000 times more concentrated than in the atmosphere. Using the
warmth of the sun, the system converts the molecules into liquid water, which is
collected in a reservoir inside the panel and then released as pure water.

By 2018, Friesen had installed an array of 40 hydropanels in Kenya, where
members of the Samburu Girls Foundation faced daily danger on their journeys to
find water. They now have their own water source.

 "We can now make perfect water, at your home, at your school, in your community
in a way that is really bringing it into the 21st century," said Friesen.




STOCK PICKS AND INVESTING TRENDS FROM CNBC PRO:

A 'phenomenal' stock: This wealth manager look super cheap, value investor says

Outperforming portfolio manager names 5 discounted global stocks to buy

Goldman says this global delivery platform's shares are set to soar over 100%

Veteran EM investor Mark Mobius reveals the 2 tech giants that are key to any
portfolio

Source's hydropanels are installed in 52 countries in 450 separate projects. The
company has raised $150 million from investors including Bill Gates'
Breakthrough Energy Ventures, BlackRock, Duke Energy and the Lightsmith Group.

This type of technology is desperately needed in places like India, where an
estimated 800,000 villages don't have clean drinking water. Friesen cited World
Health Organization, showing that by 2025 "half the world's population will be
in water stressed areas."

There's a domestic need as well. In the U.S, there are 1.5 million miles of lead
pipes still in the ground, and about 750 water main breaks a day, according to
Friesen. The business opportunity, he said, is enormous.

Watch our live stream for all you need to know to invest smarter.
Trending Now
 * 1
   Microsoft-owned LinkedIn lays off nearly 700 employees — read the memo here
 * 2
   68-year-old engineer spent 50 years at one company: I've 'always told my
   supervisors leave me alone'
 * 3
   Blinken meets with Israeli president, promises U.S. support; Gaza-Egypt
   border still closed
 * 4
   In rare move, Ford chairman calls on UAW to make a deal and end 'acrimonious'
   talks
 * 5
   'A very unique battle': How geography could shape Israel's expected ground
   offensive in Gaza

View the full site


A circle with an upward arrow icon.Back to Top

© 2023 CNBC LLC. All Rights Reserved. A Division of NBCUniversal

Data is a real time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes. Global
Business and Financial News, Stocks, Quotes, and Market Data, and Analysis.

Privacy Policy Do Not Sell My Personal Information CA Notice Terms of Service

Data also provided by