TRANSFORMATIONAL BUILDING DESIGN ENERGIZES WATER RECYCLING--LITERALLY!

Architect Maria Paz Gutierrez is developing affordable, sustainable building technologies to address global water scarcity. Her team at UC Berkeley is creating solar panels that recycle gray water, using photocatalytic disinfection to kill microbes. This technology, supported by the National Science Foundation, aims to reduce water demand and energy costs, with potential commercialization within a decade. The panels are tested in labs and outdoors, offering benefits from local to global scales by conserving water and generating power.

What role does photocatalytic disinfection technology play in the gray water recycling process?

In what ways does the research team plan to improve water usage in developed countries?