Xiaofeng Jiang, Zhuhua Zhang, Wanlin Guo, Xiuqiang Li

Advanced Materials   ，2026，e14460

Abstract: The Earth’s water cycle holds one of the largest continuous energy flows in nature that is driven by solar heating. Evaporation from oceans, condensation into clouds, and precipitation across landscapes collectively circulate an estimated 40 petawatts of latent heat, which is comparable to the total global solar energy absorbed at the surface. Water has powered civilization since the development of the first mill wheel. More recently, electricity generation arising from water–solid interactions has emerged as a new frontier at the intersection of hydrovoltaics and the planet’s water cycle. Unlike photovoltaics, which harvest sunlight intermittently, hydrovoltaic systems can operate continuously along with the water cycle.

Link: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acs.nanolett.5c06248