Enlarge / This is Soletair’s demonstration unit. Air goes in, fuel comes out. (Espresso machine optional.) (credit: Soletair Power)
At Ars, we get a lot of pitches from start-ups that want to talk about their products. At least for this science reporter, the feeling is rarely mutual. But once in a while, something piques my curiosity. Something like… carbon capture for an office HVAC system.
Over a video call, Finnish start-up Soletair Power recently showed off a unit operating in its office. It had been built for the 2020 World Expo in Dubai, but, well, you know what has happened to expos. Instead, of powering an expo booth, there was a gas-powered espresso maker bolted onto the unit—since this machine turns CO2 into methane fuel.
The value proposition for the first part of the device is pretty straightforward. Carbon dioxide accumulates in buildings full of people, and higher CO2 concentrations may impact your ability to think clearly. The usual way to manage that is to introduce more outside air (which may need to be heated/cooled). Another could be to selectively filter out CO2. This device could do the latter for you.
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Source: Ars Technica – Start-up wants to do carbon capture on stale indoor air, turn it into fuel