This year, the world experienced the severity of climate change through heat waves, heavy rains, and droughts. As a result, 'climate tech' gained attention as a means to respond to climate change. Climate tech has established itself as a key to a sustainable future, offering practical solutions across various fields.
On the 23rd (local time), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) published an overview of the promising technologies expected to emerge from this year's climate tech. The anticipated technologies for next year can be broadly categorized into energy production and supply, carbon removal, and solar panel recycling.
◇Evolution of sustainable energy technology
In the field of energy production and supply, the Dutch startup Kitepower is expected to come into the spotlight next year. The company is establishing an air-based wind energy (AWE) system that generates electricity using kites. When powerful winds blow at heights of up to 350 meters and pull the kite string, this force is converted into electricity.
This year, Kitepower unveiled a system equipped with a 40 kW (kilowatt; 1 kW equals 1,000 watts) capacity battery. Its size is similar to that of a standard shipping container, making it a potential alternative to diesel generators in isolated areas. The company is currently testing the system off the northern coast of Ireland and plans to introduce a larger system with a capacity of 100 kW next year or the year after.
A system has also been developed that utilizes soil to power agricultural Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Researchers at Tennessee Tech University supplied power to sensors distributed across a two-acre (approximately 800 m²) field using underground transmitters and receivers. Although the conductivity of typical soil varies, this approach capitalizes on the high electrical conductivity of agricultural soil, which is rich in ions from fertilizers.
So far, smart agricultural IoT devices have been used to measure the moisture, temperature, pH, and nutrients of the land to assess the condition of the farmland. However, their distributed installation over large fields has made power supply challenging. The researchers at Tennessee Tech University plan to gradually expand their test fields to find optimal conditions for power supply.
◇Carbon capture technology to combat climate change
Carbon dioxide is an essential keyword in climate tech. Reducing carbon dioxide, which causes global warming, is crucial for slowing down the pace of climate change. The startup Ebb Carbon, based in California, United States, has introduced a technology that electrochemically separates seawater to produce acidic and alkaline substances, subsequently reacting the alkaline substance with carbon dioxide in seawater to store carbon in bicarbonate form.
Ebb Carbon claims that this method can remove 500 tons of carbon dioxide annually and lower the acidity of the ocean, promoting the growth of marine life. However, the treatment of acidic wastewater generated during the seawater separation process remains a major challenge. Ebb Carbon is testing methods to separate hydrochloric acid from the acidic wastewater for sale or neutralization.
The Swiss company Climeworks has created cube-shaped direct air capture (DAC) facilities using new adsorbents. By increasing the surface area of the adsorbent, the company doubled the carbon dioxide capture efficiency compared to existing technologies while extending the lifespan of the materials by three times. The energy consumption was reduced by half, resulting in a 50% reduction in expenses.
Climeworks anticipates that this technology will enable the removal of millions of tons of carbon dioxide annually within the next decade. This technology is also expected to be applied to a project that aims to create the first hub in the United States for removing 1 million tons of carbon dioxide.
◇Technology to revive discarded solar panels
Next year, millions of tons of solar panels are expected to be discarded, drawing attention to related technologies. The Italian startup 9-tech has developed a technology that can recover over 90% of materials such as silicon, silver, and copper contained in solar panels without toxic substances.
The method used by 9-tech works as follows: first, the aluminum frame and tempered glass are removed from the solar panels, and the rest is placed in a furnace at 400 degrees Celsius to separate the non-melted glass, silicon, and copper. Afterward, silver remaining in the silicon is recovered using ultrasound and acid. 9-tech states, "This process can recover 90% of silver, 95% of silicon, and over 99% of copper, aluminum, and glass," adding, "Although the process incurs high expenses, the recovered materials are all high-quality, which will help offset costs."
Researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) developed a technology that uses femtosecond (one billionth of a second) lasers instead of adhesive polymers in the manufacturing process of solar panels to weld glass. The resulting panels do not leave sticky polymer residues upon disposal, making them easier to recycle.
The researchers explained, "Adhesive polymers decompose over time, allowing moisture to enter the solar panel, which ultimately leads to corrosion. The use of lasers for welding glass mitigates the risk of corrosion, making it safer and extending the lifespan of the solar panels."