Advanced Microencapsulated Carbon Sorbents (MECS) for Distributed Carbon Capture in Buildings

It is a broad goal of our country to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by fifty percent by 2030 and achieve net zero by 2050. The built environment plays a critical role in addressing this goal as our building sector accounts for thirty-six percent of national carbon dioxide emissions. Buildings also act as a reservoir of carbon dioxide where it concentrates and results in increased energy expenditure from heating, cooling and ventilation. Our company is developing a system for distributed carbon capture that will enable buildings to remove carbon from the air by augmenting the heating ventilation and air conditioning system to include carbon capture systems. This will be accomplished with a new class of sorbent material, advanced microencapsulated carbon sorbents, that combines the advantages of solid and liquid carbon sorbents for effective indoor air carbon dioxide removal. Integrating this technology into buildings will reduce energy spent in exhausting building carbon dioxide and help recycle conditioned air in the building. In phase I our company developed a prototype carbon capture filtration system to demonstrate integration into the building infrastructure for removal of carbon dioxide. In Phase II, we will apply our learnings in the built environment to pilot a high efficiency carbon dioxide capture system that pays for itself through the energy savings generated. We will also work with local underserved communities to ensure our solution is accessible to local small business owners for installation. Enabling distributed carbon capture in the built environment has a twofold benefit of both carbon capture and energy savings that will help building owners and managers achieve their energy efficiency targets. This technology enables buildings to reduce their carbon footprint, deliver cleaner air, and save money. By leveraging the existing building heating, cooling and ventilation system, our carbon capture filtration system has the potential to greatly reduce the total cost of carbon capture. If this project is carried over into Phase III, we anticipate a total potential impact of distributed carbon capture in buildings in our country that can address over five hundred million tons of carbon dioxide.