Scientists have reportedly discovered a way to use humidity in air to leach out energy into any material constructed with micro-holes to trap the energy, giving hope to the idea of a limitless supply of clean energy if it can be scaled, the Washington Post reports.
The energy creation in this process is essentially a passive operation, with a device leeching the humidity out of the air and trapping its energy using a small device the size of a fingernail peppered with nanopores less than 100 nanometers in diameter. The nanopores allow small amounts of water to go through, creating a charge imbalance captured by the board, allowing the system to run without pollution. The system would generate more electricity in humid summer conditions than in drier, arid climes.