The mission of WeNexus is to transform water infrastructure with next-generation water management and heat integration solutions using renewable energy. WeNexus is developing a platform technology for economical water management and resource recovery that can enhance freshwater access, circularize resources, and reduce environmental impacts, steering society toward a sustainable future.
FELLOW
Yang Zhong
Yang Zhong is the founder and CEO of WeNexus, a technology company dedicated to enhancing freshwater access, circularizing resources, and reducing environmental pollution through innovations in the water-energy nexus. Zhong is a mechanical engineering Ph.D. candidate at MIT, where he works with Evelyn Wang and Gang Chen on developing breakthrough desalination and air-to-water technologies that use renewable thermal energy. He holds dual M.S. degrees from MIT in mechanical engineering, and electrical engineering & computer science.
TECHNOLOGY
Critical Need
Water scarcity and pollution present significant challenges due to climate change, population growth, and increasing industrial demand. Industries such as chemical refineries, mining, and food processing, along with municipal waste from our daily lives, generate vast amounts of wastewater. Effective management of freshwater and wastewater is essential for human sustainability. However, current water infrastructure is unsustainable and inefficient—it contributes to two percent of global greenhouse gas emissions and operates in a linear model that wastes opportunities to recover valuable resources, such as metals and nutrients. This gap highlights the critical need for innovative solutions to transform water infrastructure and ensure a clean, sustainable future.
Technology Vision
WeNexus develops next-generation water management and heat integration solutions for water purification or separation in liquid and gas phases. These innovative technologies harness low-grade thermal energy to efficiently treat wastewater and brine with a low risk of fouling and extract water vapor directly from ambient air. By utilizing wastewater and the atmosphere—two widely available yet untapped resources—WeNexus aims to enhance clean water access and circularize resources while reducing the environmental impacts of industrial wastewater and carbon emissions.
Potential for Impact
Water is essential for life and intricately linked with energy. WeNexus is creating a platform technology in the water-energy nexus to revolutionize water infrastructure, which can positively impact society and the environment. These innovations aim to increase freshwater availability, promote resource circularity, reduce carbon emissions, and advance environmental remediation. At scale, these solutions could mitigate water scarcity, accelerate the clean-energy transition, and address climate change and other environmental challenges, steering toward a cleaner, more sustainable future.