The Asian Development Bank is extending grant amounting to about $80,000 to the National Electrification Administration for the installation of new technology that produces drinking water from sunlight and air, particularly in far-flung areas.

ADB Energy Sector Group Chief Yongping Zhai told this to reporters during the presentation of ADB's SOURCE Hydropanels on the rooftop of its headquarters in Mandaluyong City.

SOURCE Hydropanels, developed by the US-based Zero Mass Water, Inc., is an off-grid, solar-powered technology which extracts water vapor from the air into a proprietary absorbent material. The water flows into a reservoir where it is mineralized with calcium and magnesium for health and taste benefits.

"The deployment of climate-proof drinking water through the SOURCE Hydropanels will help address the water supply problems in rural and off-grid areas, especially in small islands in the Philippines which lack access to both reliable drinking water and electricity," Zhai said.

He said that since June last year, ADB, along with NEA and ZMW, has been conducting the pilot test of the project involving the installation of four hydropanels at ADB.

Similar hydropanel units were also installed at NEA, he said.

He said 40 hydropanel units, including those at ADB and NEA, are targeted to be installed in eight island communities in the country.

According to Roberto Martin, general manager in Green Heat Corporation, local solar provider of ZMW and ADB, they have been collaborating with eight cooperatives in the country for the establishment of hydropanels. Some of them were the Davao del Sur Electric Cooperative, Agusan del Sur Electric Cooperative, First Bukidnon Electric Cooperative, Pangasinan Electric Cooperative, First Bukidnon Electric Cooperative and Bohol II Electric Cooperative, Inc.

ZMW Founder and CEO Cody Friesen said each hydropanel costs about $2,000. This is on top of installing a hydropanel unit.

Each hydropanel, with a lifespan of about 15 years, displaces up to 50,000 standard PET bottles or equivalent to about five liters a day of high quality drinking water and eliminating plastic pollution, he said. Celerina Monte/DMS