Reinventing Carbon Capture One Roof At A Time
Carbona Co. — a revolutionary solution to climate change
Our world is changing. Droughts, wildfires, rising sea levels — this is the reality that we face as we lie on the brink of climate catastrophe. To put it simply, the effects of global warming will be disastrous if nothing is done.
So, what can we do? That’s where Carbona Co. comes in. We’re revolutionizing solar panel technology to capture carbon and remove it from our atmosphere, one roof at a time.
The Problem
The effects of climate change are widely known. Temperatures are rising and soon, many places on this planet or going to become uninhabitable. The ten hottest years in documented history have occurred after 2005, with most of them after 2014.
Sea levels are rising and oceans are becoming more acidic. 40% of the world’s population lives on or near a coast. This essentially means that over a billion people would need to relocate because their dwellings would be submerged in the depths of the ocean.
California has been plagued with wildfires and droughts for years now and the effects are already being seen. Thousands of acres burned, disrupting plants, animals, and buildings located in the area.
This cannot go on.
There’s a number of ways being theorized to limit the effects of climate change, but the only way to truly have a lasting impact is to attack the problem at the root.
So, the question is simple. Why is climate change happening?
Essentially, there is too much carbon dioxide in our atmosphere which is causing the greenhouse effect. The gases in our atmosphere are trapping heat from the sun and not letting it escape back into space. This trapped heat is causing our planet to warm up. The greenhouse effect is natural, but humans have exacerbated it.
While many other factors affect climate change, it is widely agreed that climate change is one of, if not the most, prominent.
At this point, there is about 414 parts per million of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere which is double the amount that was there during the Industrial Revolution. Trends show that this number will continue to rise which is very concerning.
Removing carbon from our atmosphere is a critical step to ensuring that Earth remains a planet capable of human life.
Current Solutions
Current carbon capture technology isn’t a viable solution.
Traditionally, carbon dioxide is captured using a toxic chemical called monoethanolamine, which is a highly corrosive compound that requires an energy-intensive capture process.
Energy-intensive capture requires fossil fuels to run, which add more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. A cycle of little to no net gain is created, when monoethanolamine is used to capture carbon directly from the air.
Current direct air carbon capture systems are also very expensive, so they are not available for widespread use at the present moment.
Others have suggested that we should just plant more trees because plants absorb carbon dioxide when they perform photosynthesis, a process that they perform constantly.
A plant’s goal when performing photosynthesis is to produce glucose, rather than remove carbon dioxide and produce oxygen. As a result, traditional photosynthesis is ineffective for our purposes. Plants only convert 0.1 to 0.8% of sunlight into natural fuels during photosynthesis
Another solution that is often mentioned is solar. Solar panels work by taking energy from the sun and converting it into usable energy, eliminating the need for fossil fuels.
Although solar is a great option to prevent more carbon dioxide from building up, it does not address our current problems.
Solar is also relatively expensive for the average family, despite the fact that the price of panels has dropped in recent years.
So, what can we do in the next five years to completely disrupt the carbon capture industry and provide a long-term solution?
That’s where Carbona Co. comes in!
Carbona Co.
We’re providing companies and individual users with a way to make a difference in the fight against global warming — using artificial photosynthesis.
Artificial Leaves
Artificial photosynthesis is the process during which we extract carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and use it to produce oxygen and other products.
Our artificial leaves use a silver catalyst, so they produce oxygen gas and syngas, which is considered a gold mine for chemists.
Here’s an overview of how the leaves work:
- CO2 is captured on the dry side of the hollow fiber membrane (simultaneously with sunlight striking triple junction photoabsorber), and on the wet side, CO2 is converted into bicarbonate when it comes into contact with water, and reaches equilibrium.
- While CO2 is being captured, sunlight hits the photoabsorber’s semiconductor electrode to begin photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. During this process, hydrogen is produced from water using sunlight and specialized semiconductors, which use light energy to directly dissociate water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen.
- A membrane separating the cathode from the anode allows H+ ions to pass through into the cathode, where 4 H+ ions and electrons lost from the anode side can be used to create synthesis gas.
- Once carbon dioxide is captured and H+ is added to it from electrolyte solution, the system must reach carbon’s maximum oxidation state by reducing it, to make fuel. This results in CO and H2 created within the cathodes of three electrodes of the system.
Our Design
Using the technology envisioned by Aditya Prajapati and Meenesh R. Singh, we have come up with a scalable system that can be deployed in 2–5 years.
At Carbona Co., we believe that the best way to utilize this technology is to model it after the design of a solar panel.
Each panel will be 1m by 2m in size to start and contain 244 artificial leaves. These panels will be installed on the roofs of buildings and individual homes.
Our panels will also be mounted on a solar tracker, so each artificial leaf can receive optimal sunlight daily, boosting the amount of carbon dioxide captured every day.
Costs
Each leaf itself will cost a little under five dollars. With 244 leaves on each system, the total cost of leaves per device will be $1220. The solar tracker will cost $4220, so the final cost for each panel is $5440. This is significantly less than the cost of solar.
However, customers will have the opportunity to receive money back from the system. Our leaves produce syngas, which is a very desirable compound for chemists. Once we harvest the syngas, customers can sell their syngas to companies for a profit.
On average, syngas sells for ten cents per cubic meter. One panel will produce approximately 97.6 tons of syngas a day. This means that in one year, a user will make approximately $4,036.90, so they will make back their investment in under two years.
Current methods for producing syngas require coal gasification, which is not sustainable, as it pollutes the environment. As a result, the market is wide open for a clean way to produce syngas.
Carbona Co. is here to help provide a sustainable future for Earth. Our carbon capture technology is affordable, reliable, and incentivizing and can severely limit the greenhouse effect on our planet.
Join us today for a brighter tomorrow as we help solve climate change, one roof at a time.
