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FACILITIES MANAGEMENT


projects. The company employs temperature vacuum swing adsorption (TVSA) to segregate


S


CO2, before regenerating the adsorbent by ‘swinging’ to a vacuum. Soletair’s TVSA is able to capture CO2 with 99.9 per cent purity, using less than 100°C as the regeneration temperature. The process is reliant on accurate, reliable


measurement of temperature, humidity, and CO2 using Vaisala technology. Buildings and construction are responsible for


37 per cent of the world’s CO2 emissions, so ambitious goals have been established to lower


this figure during both construction and operation – the ultimate aim is to achieve carbon net zero buildings. There is also pressure from local and industry-specific regulations as well as broader, global requirements like the Paris Agreement, which requires a 50 per cent


reduction in CO2 emissions by 2030. Soletair Power, founded in 2016, uncovered


the potential for technology to reduce a


building’s carbon emissions by capturing CO2 from its ventilation system and using it in the production of fuel or concrete, for example.


WHY CAPTURE CO2 FROM BUILDINGS? CEO Petri Laakso explains the multiple benefits of


Soletair Power’s solutions. “Capturing CO2 from a building’s air, whether that be its inlet, exhaust, or


circulated air, reduces its overall CO2 emissions. Our system also delivers cost-reduction, employee well-being, and sustainability benefits.


oletair Power (Finland) has developed a unique solution for


extracting carbon dioxide (CO2) from building ventilation systems to help achieve carbon net zero and even carbon negative building


CARBON CAPTURE TECHNOLOGY FOR BUILDINGS


For example, with CO2-lean air coming into the building you can reduce ventilation levels – which


saves on heating, cooling, and energy, further


reducing operational CO2 emissions. Lower CO2 levels inside offices and residential buildings also contribute to better health, well-being, and employee performance. “To capture CO2, the air needs to be moving and


ventilation systems do this work for us, and the air in buildings also tends to be around 20°C, which is the optimum temperature for our process.” In addition to capturing CO2 from the air


passing through heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, Soletair Power has


also developed an indoor CO2-filtering air purifier for meeting rooms and smaller office spaces,


and an outdoor CO2 capture system. “Our outdoor device is very similar to the HVAC- integrated one, but with a housing around the unit,” says Laakso. “We have one such unit in Duisburg, Germany, which is installed outdoors


to capture as much CO2 as possible. The CO2 is then used by the company as a raw material for various industrial processes.”


ARE CARBON-NEGATIVE BUILDINGS POSSIBLE?


A major additional benefit of Soletair Power’s


solution is that the captured CO2 can be used for other applications, including concrete production. “For concrete, the captured CO2 is used to create calcium carbonate, so you have the potential to achieve negative emissions


when the CO2 is locked away from the atmosphere. This is one way we can help building owners to achieve net-zero emissions for the building’s lifetime by compensating for construction-related and operational emissions,” says Laakso. “Carbon-negative buildings will also offer significant cost savings, meaning our systems can provide a return on investment within just a few years.” Achieving net zero is no mean feat though, and the ability to do so can depend on various local factors, including how the power and heating for the building is generated. “To make a building into a carbon sink you need its electricity to be renewable and the heating from a source that minimises emissions,” Laakso explains.


36 JULY/AUGUST 2023 | FACTORY&HANDLINGSOLUTIONS


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