Electricity is generated from wind, coal and water, of course. But from humidity? A group of engineers is working on it – and building artificial mini clouds.
The term “humidity” is generally associated with negative connotations. A high water content in the air is usually associated with sweat beads and wet-sticking clothing. Conversely, if the humidity is too low, this affects health, for example in the form of a sore throat or dry skin. The physicist Jun Yao from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, finally wants to put the humidity in a better light: it contains an inexhaustible reservoir of energy that needs to be used.