Australia’s dryness may be its new energy source

Australia is the driest inhabited continent on earth, but new research might allow us to use this to create energy.

"Evaporation comes with a natural battery,"
study co-author Ahmet-Hamdi Cavusoglu says. 

Scientists in the US have developed a machine that can harness evaporation to create kinetic energy, which can be transformed into power.

Early modelling indicates this technology could generate almost 325 gigawatts if used in the US. In the National Electricity Market – which encompasses the entire east coast of Australia – in 2016-17 there was a maximum demand of 34.4 gigawatts.

Dubbed an "evaporation-driven engine", it is already achieving positive results and can double as a water-saving device.

Read Cole Latimer’s story in today”s Melbourne Age - “Australia’s dryness may be its new energy source.”

California seeks advice from 'dusty Australians'

W

hite settlement in Australia began in 1788 when a penal colony was established at Botany Bay, in what is now known as New South Wales.

Water was then abundant, but at the years passed it became obvious that water would become a priority in this fantastically dry continent.

Australia is now understood to be the driest inhabited continent on earth and although water has been scarce, outside the massive flooding events, the country has prospered.

The success of Australians have had living successfully in such a dry environment had not gone unnoticed and now The Age tell us - “Water-guzzling Californians turn to dusty Australians for a hand”.