Soletair Power, founded in 2016, is a Finnish company pioneering in Building Integrated CO2 Capture technology. Their primary objective is to address global carbon emissions by integrating Direct Air Capture (DAC) of CO2 technology within commercial buildings’ existing HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) systems. By leveraging building ventilation systems for CO2 capture while simultaneously reducing HVAC energy consumption through optimized airflow and ventilation speed adjustments, Soletair Power aims to transform buildings into carbon sinks, thereby contributing to the net reduction of global emissions.
Interview with Petri Laakso, CEO & Co-Founder of Soletair Power.
Easy Engineering: What are the main areas of activity of the company?
Petri Laakso: The company operates in the carbon capture and real estate industry. Main areas of activity include developing modular CO2 capture solutions that can be retrofitted with ventilation systems, thereby empowering commercial property owners to capture CO2 onsite. Additionally, the company focuses on reducing buildings’ HVAC energy consumption and further lowering the net carbon footprints through the reduction of ventilation speed. Soletair Power HVAC-integrated CO2 Capture system can offset up to 100% of the building’s emissions and reduce energy consumption as well as the cost of ventilation.
E.E: What’s the news about new products/services?
P.L: Soletair Power is set to deliver a building-integrated carbon capture unit to a location in Aarhus, Denmark. This unit will be able to capture CO2 from the air passing through the building. This will be similar to recent deployments of their CO2 Capture units in a building in Vaasa and inside a factory in Vantaa, Finland. This unit will be able to reduce the building’s carbon emissions and help it reach its carbon emissions targets. Surplus heat generated by the unit can be utilized in other operations within the building. This project has the potential to transform the building into the first carbon sink building in Denmark, actively removing CO2 from the atmosphere.
E.E: What are the ranges of products/services?
P.L: Soletair Power tackles climate change by offering a range of carbon capture solutions:
Building-Integrated CO2 Capture Systems: These tailor-made systems integrate with existing building ventilation to capture CO2 directly from the flowing air. This reduces the building’s environmental footprint and also lowers energy consumption.
Outdoor CO2 Capture Unit: These containerized standalone units operate outdoors, capturing CO2 directly from the ambient air.
Indoor Carbon Dioxide Filtering Air Purifier: Designed for office spaces, these air purifiers can capture CO2 from the room air for up to 8-10 hours, improving indoor air quality. Unlike other units, this unit captures CO2 temporarily and releases it after regular office hours.
E.E: What is the state of the market where you are currently active?
P.L: Soletair Power is carving its niche in the rapidly expanding building decarbonization market for sustainable carbon capture solutions. With buildings responsible for nearly 40% of global CO2 emissions, there is a significant opportunity for companies like Soletair Power to provide innovative technologies that address this issue. The market is driven by increasingly stricter regulatory requirements in the built-environment sector and a global surge in environmental awareness. Currently, the company is active in Europe with customers in Germany, Finland, Denmark, and Dubai.
E.E: What can you tell us about market trends?
P.L: Market trends indicate a strong emphasis on sustainability and carbon reduction efforts across various industries, particularly in the construction and real estate sectors. Real estate investors are actively seeking net-zero solutions, reflecting a strong industry-wide emphasis on sustainability and carbon reduction. Companies are driven by two key factors: complying with increasingly stringent regulations focused on decarbonization and demonstrating their commitment to environmental responsibility. Denmark, for example, is at the forefront with ambitious plans to transform buildings into carbon sinks. There, Soletair Power has partnered with Sören Jensen, a construction engineering company in the region. A global wave of regulations is emerging, including Local Law 97 (NY), Carbon City Property Tax Abatement Act (NY), Section 45Q (US), LNET (CA), Inflation Reduction Act (US), Energy Performance of Building Directive (EU), Building Energy Acts (various countries), Carbon Tax, and Carbon Dioxide Removal Leadership Act (US). These regulations further amplify the market demand for distributed carbon capture technologies like those offered by Soletair Power.
E.E: What are the most innovative products/services marketed?
P.L: Building-Integrated CO2 Capture System is Soletair Power’s most innovative product. This captures CO2 from the air by integrating with existing ventilation systems in commercial buildings. By providing a cost-effective solution for reducing global emissions and the cost of HVAC operation, this technology sets Soletair Power apart in the market. In 2021, Soletair Power demonstrated a compact Power-to-X methane production unit inside the Finland pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. The company delivered an outdoor Direct Air Capture unit at the ZBT hydrogen and fuel cell center in Duisburg, Germany in 2022. In the same year, the company installed an HVAC-integrated CO2 Capture unit at Wärtsilä Sustainable Technology Hub, a commercial building in Vaasa, Finland. The company delivered an HVAC-integrated CO2 Capture unit to a factory in Vantaa, Finland in 2023.
Soletair Power’s most innovative product is undoubtedly its Building-Integrated CO2 Capture System. This benefits commercial building owners by capturing CO2 directly from the air and reducing net emissions, energy consumption, and costs. Beyond its core product, Soletair Power has showcased some other successful products:
2021: Demonstration of a compact Power-to-X unit at Expo 2020 Dubai, where the company captured CO2 from the Finland pavilion and made fuel out of thin air.
2022: Delivery of an Outdoor Direct Air Capture unit to the ZBT Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Center in Duisburg, Germany
2022: Installation of an HVAC-Integrated CO2 Capture unit at the Wärtsilä Sustainable Technology Hub in Vaasa, Finland.
2023: Delivery of an HVAC-Integrated CO2 Capture unit to a factory in Vantaa, Finland where the captured CO2 is used to create a very innovative and sustainable product.
E.E: What estimations do you have for the beginning of 2024?
P.L: By the beginning of 2024, Soletair Power aims to sell a few HVAC-integrated CO2 Capture units in Europe. Additionally, the plan is to ramp up R&D efforts to further refine the technology.
