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Using Water to Clean Water
Experimenting with water treatment and clean energy
The Problem
I am currently writing this article on a computer and — unless Medium started a paper route — you are currently reading on a laptop, phone, tablet or some other electronic device.
No matter what you are using, or where you are reading, most readers in developed countries are accustomed to a kind of reliability. If your device runs out of power, there’s always an outlet nearby whether you’re at home, work, a library, coffee shop or elsewhere. Outlets are almost always functional and once plugged in, you typically don’t have to worry about a shaky connection. This reliability is provided by the grid.
The grid is a collection of power plants, solar/wind farms, transmission lines, transformers and outlets (among many other elements). The work done by technicians, mechanics, engineers, and many other professionals ensure that no matter where you are, or what you’re using, electricity can be generated, transmitted, and distributed in a given area.
Our access to numerous electronic devices, along with what seems to be a never ending supply of power, is an incredible privilege and not one afforded to millions of others around the world who do not have access to a centralized grid. The International Energy Agency states that this number hovers around 600 million people without access to electricity. On a positive note, this number has been decreasing for many years. Part of the reason that this number has decreased from over a billion people in 2010 is due to renewable sources. According to the World Bank:
“Globally, the number of people without access to electricity declined from 1.2 billion in 2010 to 759 million in 2019. Electrification through decentralized renewable-based solutions in particular gained momentum. The number of people connected to mini grids has more than doubled between 2010 and 2019, growing from 5 to 11 million people.”
“The report examines various ways to bridge the gaps to reach SDG7, chief among them the goal of significantly scaling up renewables — which have proven more resilient than other parts of the energy sector during the COVID-19 crisis. While renewable energy has seen unprecedented growth over the last decade, its share of total…
