White City's Air Quality to Be Boosted by Revolutionary Green Technology
BioSolar Leaf system removes greenhouse gases and creates breathable oxygen
Artist's impression of Arborea panels on London roofs. Pic: Imperial College London / Thomas Glover
Air quality in White City is set to be boosted by the first ever use of 'BioSolar Leaf' technology which removes greenhouse gases from the environment and generates breathable oxygen through the photosynthesis of microscopic plants.
The technology, incorporated into green panels, could soon become a common site on roofs across London.
The new technology, which could potentially revolutionise the cleaning up of air across the world, is the result of a collaboration between Imperial College London and local startup company Arborea.
Arborea have developed an innovative cultivation system which facilitates the growth of tiny plant-life - such as microalgae, diatoms and phytoplankton - on large solar panel-like structures.
These can then be installed on land, the walls and roofs of buildings and other developments to improve surrounding air quality.
The team say that Arborea’s cultivation system can do the work of 100 trees, removing carbon dioxide and producing breathable oxygen while taking up the surface area of just a single tree.
The technology can even help to provide food, with the team saying the system is a sustainable source of organic biomass, from which Arborea extracts nutritious food additives for plant-based food products.
Arborea was founded by alumnus Julian Melchiorri, who completed two masters in Innovation Design Engineering in 2014, a course administered jointly by Imperial College London and the Royal College of Art.
In 2017, Julian’s ‘Bionic Chandelier’ – a living and breathing structure which purifies the air indoors using microalgae – became part of the V&A’s permanent collection.
Imperial says it will be partnering with Arborea as part of its commitment to mitigating the environmental impact of its development at White City. The College will be providing the company with funding to develop an outdoor pilot of their BioSolar Leaf cultivation system on Imperial’s White City Campus South Site.
Over the length of the project, the pilot will showcase how pioneering technologies are addressing environmental and social issues in real working conditions. It is envisaged that the pilot will also become the centre piece for outreach activities with school students from the local White City area.
This news comes as Imperial and Hammersmith and Fulham Council are collaborating on a Partnership for Growth and Innovation - or ‘Upstream’ - which aims to transform White City into a world-leading innovation district fuelled by close collaboration between academics, businesses, entrepreneurs and the local community.
Arborea are currently based in the Translation & Innovation Hub (I-HUB) at Imperial’s White City Campus and recently received the ‘Peres Award for Social Innovation’ from The European House Ambrosetti. The company were previously supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology’s Climate-KIC Accelerator and Innovate UK.
Julian Melchiorri, Founder and CEO of Arborea, said: "When I founded Arborea my goal was to tackle climate change while addressing the critical issues related to the food system. This pilot plant will produce sustainable healthy food additives while purifying the air, producing oxygen and removing carbon dioxide from the surrounding environment.
" It will provide the opportunity to fully harness Arborea’s BioSolar Leaf dual action in real operating conditions and help to unlock the technology’s full potential."
Professor Neil Alford, Associate Provost (Academic Planning) at Imperial College London, said: "Air pollution is one of London’s most urgent challenges, and Imperial is committed to finding sustainable and resilient solutions to this threat. This collaboration with Arborea is an exceptional opportunity to showcase the power of Cleantech at our White City Campus.
"Through our White City masterplan we are bringing forward sustainable solutions that have the potential to improve environmental outcomes in west London, throughout the UK, and across the world."
April 29, 2019