Electricity can be generated from humidity say scientists

Researchers from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst have discovered a way to generate clean and pollution-free energy from air humidity. The study, published in the journal Advanced Materials, claims that air humidity is a sustainable reservoir of energy that can be harvested using a small device that continuously generates electricity from the air. The device, called an air-powered generator or “air-gen”, is made up of a material that can be practically any substance, such as silicon or wood, and is dotted with tiny holes known as nanopores. The holes have a diameter smaller than 100 nanometers, or less than a thousandth of the width of a strand of human hair. The air-gen effect, as the researchers call it, can produce electricity predictably and continuously, and since humidity is ever-present, it can run 24/7, rain or shine, at night and whether or not the wind blows. This solves one of the major problems of technologies like wind or solar, which only work under certain conditions. The study builds upon previous research from 2020, which found that energy could be pulled from humidity by material that came from bacteria. The new study shows that almost any material can be used to generate electricity from air humidity. The researchers say that this technology has significant implications for the future of renewable energy, climate change, and medicine. The air-gen effect could be used to power homes and other buildings, and if scaled up, could generate enough electricity to power entire cities.