This machine takes office-air CO₂ and turns it into fuel

Enlarge / This is Soletair's demonstration unit. Air goes in, fuel comes out. (Espresso machine optional.) (credit: Soletair Power)

At Ars, we get a lot of pitches from start-ups that want to talk about their products. At least for this science reporter, the feeling is rarely mutual. But once in a while, something piques my curiosity. Something like… carbon capture for an office HVAC system.

Over a video call, Finnish start-up Soletair Power recently showed off a unit operating in its office. It had been built for the 2020 World Expo in Dubai, but, well, you know what has happened to expos. Instead of powering an expo booth, there was a gas-powered espresso maker bolted onto the unit—since this machine turns CO₂ into methane fuel.

The value proposition for the first part of the device is pretty straightforward. Carbon dioxide accumulates in buildings full of people, and higher CO₂ concentrations may impact your ability to think clearly. The usual way to manage that is to introduce more outside air (which may need to be heated/cooled). Another could be to selectively filter out CO₂. This device could do the latter for you.