In the heart of Charlotte, North Carolina, a groundbreaking study is brewing, quite literally, in the labs of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Kyoung Hee Kim, an assistant professor at the Integrated Design Research Lab within the David R. Ravin School of Architecture, is leading a team that’s turning windows into tiny carbon-capturing factories. Their secret weapon? Microalgae.
Imagine a world where your office building doesn’t just house employees, but also cultivates tiny, green powerhouses that gobble up carbon dioxide like a kid with a lollipop. That’s the vision Kim and her team are working towards, and their recent findings, published in the journal ‘Frontiers in the Built Environment’ (translated from ‘Frontiers in Built Environment’), are a significant step in that direction.
The team has been experimenting with microalgae-integrated building enclosures, essentially turning windows into photobioreactors. These aren’t your average windows. They’re filled with microalgae that, thanks to their strong photosynthetic capabilities, can sequester carbon while producing biomass feedstock and other valuable commodities.
In their latest study, Kim and her team tested two types of microalgae: Chlorella and Chlorococcum. The results were promising. “Chlorella’s daily yield in a microalgae window was 175 mg/L-day, while Chlorococcum’s daily yield was 80 mg/L-day,” Kim explained. These yields are consistent with existing literature, demonstrating the viability of microalgae building enclosures for real-world carbon capture.
But why should the energy sector care about windows full of green goo? Well, buildings are one of the primary contributors to anthropogenic pollution and climate change. While net-zero energy buildings powered by renewable energy systems can help alleviate carbon emissions, a major challenge remains in addressing embodied carbon throughout the entire life cycle of buildings. This is where microalgae come in.
Microalgae-integrated building enclosures offer a nature-based solution for carbon sequestration. They can help address global warming and promote sustainable urban development. Moreover, they can improve human wellbeing and overall ecosystem health, making them a multifunctional tool in the fight against climate change.
However, there are still challenges to overcome. As Kim points out, “The combination of regulating ideal growing environmental conditions with the building energy efficiency of the microalgae enclosure system are areas of future research.” In other words, while the potential is there, the technology needs to be refined and optimized for large-scale, cost-effective implementation.
So, what does the future hold? If Kim’s research is anything to go by, we could be looking at a future where buildings aren’t just structures, but active participants in the fight against climate change. A future where your office window doesn’t just let in light, but also helps save the planet. It’s a bold vision, but with researchers like Kim leading the charge, it’s not as far-fetched as it sounds. The energy sector would do well to keep an eye on these developments, as they could significantly impact the way we think about building design and energy efficiency.