As we experience temperature extremes more frequently as a result of climate change, this predictably leads to an increase in the use of air conditioning systems. This of course leads to higher energy use, which means more greenhouse gas emissions if not from renewable sources, and the vicious cycle continues.
While today’s AC units are more efficient than ever, they’re still a major drain on electrical grids, and updating to newer, more efficient units can be expensive—especially for owners of large commercial systems. Helix Earth Technologies aims to solve this problem by repurposing a technology originally developed to filter air on spacecraft, which company CEO Rawand Rasheed and his team developed during their time at NASA.
The technology in question is called Helix Micra, and it’s a filtration system that consists of the company’s proprietary filters and liquid desiccant. Rasheed claims that the Helix Micra system is six to eight times more efficient than other dehumidification systems on the market, is much smaller than existing systems, and the filters are easy to manufacture using 3D printing, which can be made using recycled materials.
But most importantly, the system can be retrofitted into existing commercial HVAC systems and reduce energy use by 50% or more. It does this much more efficiently than current technology by dehumidifying the air, a necessary step in the cooling process.
Helix Micra filters were developed to capture micron-sized water droplets sprayed onto spacecraft for firefighting purposes, with no moving parts. This capability also makes the technology ideal for pre-humidifying air delivered to an existing rooftop AC unit, which the company says can account for up to 80% of an AC’s energy usage in humid environments.
Helix World Technologies
This means there’s no need to replace the existing AC unit, and the company says a Helix Micra unit can be installed by a single technician in just a few hours. The add-on unit is one-tenth the size of the AC it’s connected to, and maintenance is claimed to be simpler than the AC unit itself, with services run on the same schedule as regular AC maintenance.
Helix Earth Technologies has received multiple grants and funding from a variety of sources, including DOE and NASA, and was recently announced as a finalist in the 2024 Urban Future Prize Competition.
Because the units must be customized for different systems, specific pricing details are not available, but the company’s website states that the unit will pay for itself in three years and last 15 to 20 years. The company will focus on the Texas market first before hopefully expanding into the broader U.S. and then global markets. If you operate a commercial building and are interested, you can join the waiting list on the company’s website.
Rashid explains the technology in the video below.
Helix Earth Technologies TEX-E Field
Source: Helix Earth Technologies