FOG HARVESTING

Warmer oceans are now producing more fog than in previous years, prompting leading scientists to explore methods of capturing fog water. This resulted in the creation of fog harvesting using a fog net. If implemented properly, this method of capturing condensation on the net has the ability to produce as much as 66 gallons of water per day per 13 x 35 feet of netting.³

Fog harvesting was first implemented approximately 2,000 years ago, when small farmers would build stone and cloth structures called “air wells” to supply water to their crops. These “wells” trapped condensation and channeled it into a cistern for collection. Researchers today believe this idea was discovered after observing that moisture is absorbed through the leaves of plants and trees. The mist of foliar uptake led people to develop fog nets, inexpensive and relatively simple to construct, consisting of four parts: two poles, a length of mesh webbing, a funneling system, and a container to collect the condensation droplets.

Among contemporary designers, Chilean Architect Alberto Fernandez Gonzalez was awarded First Prize in 2009 at the Holcim Awards’ “Next Generation” Competition for his coastal fog-harvesting tower concept that is able to collect 140-700 liters per day using only existing fog conditions and gravity.⁴ Presently, fog harvesting has provided a way of collecting water when potable drinking water is scarce. Although this method is not yet perfected for agriculture at this time, it is on the horizon.

3-    Leonard, Tom. “Fog Harvesting and Dew Harvesting.” Fog Harvesting and Dew Harvesting. 19   Aug. 2009. Web. 7 Dec. 2015. http://fogharvesting.com/
4-    Dansie, Mark. “The Fog Catchers.” Revolution Green. 25 Jan. 2015. Web. 7 Dec. 2015     http://revolution_green.com/fog-catchers/