One-tenth of the world’s energy is used for cooling, a number set to soar as temperatures rise. Air conditioners are lifesavers in hot weather, but they’re guzzlers. Enter AirJoule, a potentially revolutionary dehumidification system.
Jore, from Montana Technologies, unveils a key component: a special powder coating components inside their system. The powder is a metal-organic framework, a super-absorbent material that attracts water molecules. “One kilogram can absorb over half its weight in water vapor,” Jore explains.
AirJoule uses two chambers coated with this material. One chamber dries incoming air while the other releases collected moisture. A touch of heat helps release the water, which is then removed. The chambers swap roles every 10 minutes.
This system doesn’t directly cool air, but it dramatically reduces the energy needed for traditional AC units. Jore claims AirJoule uses less than 100 watt-hours per liter of water removed, a potential 90% reduction compared to traditional dehumidifiers.
Instead of competing directly with AC companies, Montana Technologies aims to sell AirJoule components to established HVAC firms. They call this approach “AirJoule Inside.” This could lead to a future where homes stay cool while potentially cutting the energy required for dehumidification by as much as 90 percent compared to a traditional dehumidifier..
In the race to develop better active cooling technologies, we might miss the opportunity to adopt more passive cooling measures. Passive cooling—as simple as shutters that keep the sun off windows on summer days—costs nothing to run: “The risk here is again that we have an easy, off-the-shelf solution, but that makes us a bit lazy about using the passive options that could save us electricity.” 🙂
Reference- Wired article, Montana Technologies, Layak Architect, National Geographic, BBC