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A platform to formalise the domestic work sector in Southeast Asia
CategoriesSustainable News

A platform to formalise the domestic work sector in Southeast Asia

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: Modern day slavery still takes place in many forms, including among domestic workers. In Malaysia, many domestic workers come from Indonesia, the Philippines, and Cambodia, and are vulnerable to slave-like work and living conditions. Moreover, they often lack the agency to report any abuses against them. 

Pinkcollar is a platform on a mission to  formalise the domestic work sector in Southeast Asia. To do so, the company has devised a transparent and ethical job-search and recruitment process that connects domestic workers and household employers. 

In addition to hosting employer and maid profiles, Pinkcollar also offers bespoke features to assist and support users throughout the employment term. For example, it has created a productivity and assistance toolkit to aid the working experience, and a ratings-system and a community forum for employers and maids. It has also developed educational materials for domestic workers to take advantage of during their rest-days.

The company foresees a number of key challenges that the platform will need overcome. These include building social awareness among employers in host-countries, and ensuring access to the platform for the demographic groups that most need it – groups that often lack digital skills. Ultimately, the goal is to build a ‘trust’ community with users on the platform.

Another innovation spotted by Springwise that tackles modern slavery is softeware that helps businesses eliminate their slavery footprint.

Written By: Katrina Lane

11th March 2022

Email: hello@hirepinkcollar.com

Website: hirepinkcollar.com

Reference

Collecting and recycling electronic waste from homes and businesses
CategoriesSustainable News

Collecting and recycling electronic waste from homes and businesses

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: Electronic waste, or e-waste, refers to any discarded item that has a plug or a battery – and it is becoming a major problem.

According to a United Nations forecast, we are on track to produce 74 million metric tonnes of e-waste by 2030. And in 2019, each person on earth generated around 7.3 kilogrammes of e-waste – with only 1.7 kilogrammes recycled per person.

In Malaysia 25 per cent of e-waste is recycled, and startup ERTH is looking to improve this rate with a service that pays consumers to recycle their old electronic devices. The service works by employing a network of freelance drivers. When a customer has e-waste that they wish to recycle, the system matches them with the nearest driver – just as ride-hailing apps match users to a taxi driver. This driver then collects the e-waste and the customer receives a cash reward.

Drivers return the e-waste they have collected to a central warehouse on a weekly basis. ERTH’s recovery partner then comes to this warehouse and collects the e-waste for dismantling and segregation. All this e-waste is recycled through the proper, regulated channels, and the company claims it has stopped more than 200,000 kilogrammes of e-waste from ending up in landfill.

ERTH is not the only e-waste recycling service, and customers in Malaysia can also deal with recycling facilities directly. However, ERTH’s service offers several important benefits. First, the company claims that its competitors require a minimum of ten items, whereas ERTH only requires one working device or three non-working devices for free pick up. Second, the startup offers fast and convenient payment through cash, bank transfer, e-wallet, or cheque. Finally, the network of drivers does all the heavy lifting, taking the hassle and inconvenience out of the process.

In addition to its core service, ERTH also offers e-waste collection boxes, secure data destruction, and a B2B recycling programme.

Other e-waste focused innovations spotted by Springwise
include a new
process can efficiently recover metals from electronic waste, and an Indian
startup that takes a collaborative
approach to e-waste.

Written By: Matthew Hempstead

11th March 2022

Email: hello@erth.app

Website: erth.app

Reference

What Is a Mini-Split Heat Pump?
CategoriesSustainable News Zero Energy Homes

What Is a Mini-Split Heat Pump?

By Zarkon Group,

By Allison A. Bailes III, PhD

Ah, mini-splits. They’re all the rage in the world of high-performance HVAC. But what exactly is a mini-split heat pump? Unfortunately, the terminology around this technology is confusing because it’s used so inconsistently. Let’s start at the beginning.  Well, OK, not all the way at the beginning.  I’m not going to explain what a heat pump is, but here’s a primer on how they work for heating.

The Basic Meaning of Mini-Split

The term “mini-split” originally referred to a split system heat pump, used for heating or cooling or both, with a smaller capacity than conventional systems. In that sense, a mini-split is just what its name says:  a small split system heat pump.  It gets confusing in the different ways manufacturers make these lower-capacity, split-system heat pumps.

A mini-split, for example, can have a conventional fixed-capacity compressor or an inverter-driven variable-capacity compressor. So, a mini-split could be a conventional heat pump that’s just smaller. Or, it could be a smaller heat pump with variable capacity. The former type is rare, though, so when you hear the term “mini-split,” you should think of the type with the inverter-driven compressor with variable capacity.

But it gets worse.  This heating and cooling system has outgrown its name…at least the “mini” part.  Yes, you can still get them down to a half-ton of capacity (6,000 BTU per hour), with smaller capacities on the way.  But you can also get mini-splits that have a capacity of 4 tons (48,000 BTU per hour), which is far from “mini.”

Is It a Mini-Split…or a Multi-Split?

Another confusing area is that with this type of heat pump, the outdoor unit can be connected to one indoor unit (referred to as one-to-one), or it could be connected to multiple indoor units. Some people distinguish these two types by using the term “mini-split” only for the one-to-one configuration.  They say that when you have more than one indoor unit on a single outdoor unit, that’s a multi-split heat pump.

The wall-mounted ductless mini-split heat pump in my sunroom. This is the only indoor unit connected to the outdoor unit, making it a one-to-one setup.

If we go with that dividing line, I have both a mini-split and a multi-split in my house.  The central part of the house is heated and cooled with one outdoor unit connected to two indoor ducted air handlers.  That would make it a multi-split.  I use a one-to-one ductless system for my sunroom (above).

Are All Mini-Splits Ductless?

And then there’s the issue of the type of indoor unit. Some are ductless, and they come in different flavors: wall-mounted, ceiling cassettes, and floor-mounted. Others are ducted, and they come in horizontal ducted or multi-position types. Some people use the term “mini-split” only for indoor ductless units. Others refer to any split system with smaller capacity as a mini-split, whether the indoor unit is ducted or ductless.

One of the ducted air handlers for the mini-split heat pump being installed in my house in 2019

I use the term “mini-split” for all of the above. Since mini-splits with fixed-capacity compressors are rare, you don’t need to worry about that confusion. If you’re talking to someone about mini-splits, you should be able to tell from the context how they use the term. If not, ask them to clarify.

Inverter-Driven Mini-Split Heat Pumps

Inverter-driven mini-split heat pumps are the future for high-performance homes. I’ve got them in my home, and it’s what we specify in most of our HVAC design jobs at Energy Vanguard. Their high efficiency and variable capacity that can ramp down to very low values are perfect for superinsulated, airtight homes, such as zero energy homes or passive homes.  And they work well in less efficient homes, too.

They give you a couple of other benefits. Their lower capacity means you can zone your heating and cooling with separate pieces of equipment. And using separate pieces of equipment provides resilience. If one heat pump stops working, you can still heat or cool the parts of the house that have operable equipment.

One final point here concerns the one-to-one configuration. If you want the highest efficiency, the best zone-to-zone control, and the most resilience, use only one indoor unit on each outdoor unit. Multi-split systems can work fine, but they’re just not as good as one-to-one setups.

Can You Oversize Heat Pumps?

One of the great advantages of using mini-splits is their variable capacity, but by oversizing them, you can lose that advantage completely.  That 6,000 BTU per hour mini-split in a room with 1,500 BTU per hour of cooling load doesn’t act at all like it has variable capacity because it’s always running at the lowest capacity.

So, yes, you absolutely can oversize a mini-split.  And when you do, you end up with some of the same problems from oversizing conventional systems:  poor humidity control, short cycling, and wasted money.

When a contractor proposes seven indoor ductless units for a 2,100 square foot house without a load calculation, there’s close to a 100% chance that the systems will be oversized.  And this problem happens with new homes that get load calculations, too, unless the load calculations are done correctly. You’ve got to look at the specifications for any mini-split heat pump in conjunction with the heating and cooling loads of the home and put in one that will take full advantage of the variable capacity.

Heat Pumps Are the Future of HVAC

Whether you live in frigid  Minnesota or hot and humid Georgia, as I do, going with a heat pump is a great idea, especially if you’re replacing a gas heating system.  Unlike fossil gas, electricity is getting cleaner, and mini-split heat pumps are the most efficient way to use clean energy for heating and cooling.

Allison A. Bailes III, Ph.D., is a speaker, writer, building science consultant, and the founder of Energy Vanguard in Decatur, Georgia. He has a doctorate in physics and writes the Energy Vanguard Blog. He is also writing a book on building science. You can follow him on Twitter at @EnergyVanguard.



Reference

Self-driving delivery robots – Springwise
CategoriesSustainable News

Self-driving delivery robots – Springwise

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: The growth in same-day delivery has spurred an increase in the market for autonomous delivery robots (ADRs). Designed for last-mile delivery of small packages, the market in ADRs is expected to see an explosion in growth over the next 5 to 10 years, with some predicting a CAGR of around 35 per cent or more over that time. As evidence, Starship Technologies, one of the bigger players in ADR has just completed a new Series B funding round, bringing its total raised to more than $100 million (around €91 million).

Starship currently operates in the US and UK, and its pavement-based robots have completed more than 3 million deliveries. The company has partnerships with grocers, such as Tesco and the Co-op in the UK, and college campuses, such as North Carolina A&T and South Dakota State University. It currently makes around 10,000 deliveries a day using a fleet of about 1,700 robots. As a result, the company has improved the robots’ ability to navigate. While initially street crossings were carried out by human operators, today the robots manage most crossings autonomously.

The more the robots are used, the more they learn about navigating different conditions, and the closer the robots come to full autonomy. Starship CEO Alastair Westgarth told Forbes in November 2021 that, “when we first encountered snow it was something the robots weren’t familiar with, it produced different images from the cameras, and the sensors reacted differently, so we had to train our systems to deal with that environment. They are constantly learning … our autonomy today is orders of magnitude bigger.”

The scale and wealth of experience means that Starship has also managed to get average delivery costs down below the human equivalent. The company will use the Series B fund to expand as well as invest in new initiatives, including exploring new business models and developing larger robots that travel on the road. The company is also looking how to provide more branded experiences for its partner businesses, such as leasing the robots for sole use by some customers.

While many are betting big on ADRs to reduce the cost and impact of last mile deliveries, others are working on delivering more efficiency using human power. Innovators in this space include a German delivery service using cargo bikes and electric vehicles and a small autonomous helicopter for larger deliveries. 

Written By: Lisa Magloff

10th March 2022

Website: starship.xyz

Contact: starship.xyz/contact/

Reference

The Zero Carbon Renovation Revolution  
CategoriesSustainable News Zero Energy Homes

The Zero Carbon Renovation Revolution  

By Zarkon Group,

The Zero Carbon Renovation Revolution  

by  JP Barton

Over 75 million existing homes in the U.S. are dependent on fossil fuels for heating, hot water, and cooking. It is estimated that 70% of these will still be in use by 2050. Most of these homes were built over thirty years ago and are poorly air-sealed, inadequately insulated, and would benefit substantially from deep green energy renovations on the path to zero. In 2021 alone, according to the EPA, existing homes were responsible for emitting approximately 850 million metric tons of carbon into the atmosphere. 

If we achieve carbon neutrality, renovating these homes on the path to zero is a significant and urgent challenge. The U.S. market alone is projected to be as much as $3 trillion over the next decade—with a potential 50 million homes at an estimated cost of $60,000 per home – and has been largely overlooked until now. Hardly a dent has been put into this massive and untapped market, creating an opportunity for an important reduction in GHG emissions on a large scale as well as creating numerous opportunities for new businesses and millions of new jobs.

Free Enterprise is Taking on the Challenge

Now several ambitious startups are ready to take on the challenge of fixing these homes. One of the most promising is a Colorado-based climate-tech company called GeoSolar Technologies (GST). The company was formed in early 2020 by a team of leading climate scientists and engineers to find better and more efficient technology for heating, cooling, cooking, and powering homes with less carbon emissions, better health, and improved air quality (IAQ) for the occupants of the home. 

GeoSolar Technology’s Vision

The company’s mission from the start has been to make a meaningful contribution to climate change by lowering global temperatures through reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from existing and newly built homes while improving the health of residents and creating financial returns to the company’s shareholders. The company believes most of the 75 million US homes that use fossil fuels to heat and cook are prime candidates for economic conversion to zero carbon. Their turnkey, all-inclusive package of expert-vetted technologies and energy efficiency systems has the potential to disrupt the home energy market. It has already been successfully implemented in 28 new energy-efficient, all-electric homes in a fossil-free community called the GEOS Neighborhood in Colorado. These homes have no gas bills, minimal electricity bills, improved health, and low carbon emissions. There were zero Covid-19 cases in the neighborhood throughout the pandemic, a solid testament to the air purification system provided by these homes. GEOS has proven the viability of all-electric housing and provides residents significant health benefits from smart ventilation and zero emissions from gas burning.

The SmartGreen Home ™ 

Based on GEOS’s learned, GST has spent almost two years developing a whole home energy system called the SmartGreen Home™  that can be installed into new or existing homes and transform them into a zero-carbon, 100% clean electric home. It produces all the energy the homeowner needs and does so economically. The system also monitors the CO2/oxygen ratio and removes Covid and other microbes and viruses. The company has filed for U.S patent protection on the whole home innovative clean energy system. 

The GST SmartGreen Home ™ system is based on three essential elements: decarbonization, electrification, and home purification. It reduces energy needs by insulating and air sealing the home, upgrading windows and doors, using air to air or geothermal heat pumps for HVAC along with solar in concert with robust air management and monitoring, heat pump hot water, battery storage, electric appliances, electric vehicle charging, and a central AI software-controlled center operated by smartphone. You can learn more here about how the SmartGreen Home works.

The GST Business Plan

GST provides everything needed to make the complete upgrade from dependence on fossil fuels to 100% clean electric. The system can also integrate a new electric vehicle (EV) with bidirectional charging to power the home with the EV during power outages and make money for the homeowner by selling electricity back to the grid at peak demand rates. 

To bring this program to as many homeowners as possible, GST is partnering with successful solar installation companies across the country to become dealer/licensees and training them in the SmartGreen Home™ technologies and systems. These solar contractors are in touch with their local market and have an active sales force in place. They will offer a greatly expanded product line and provide the system sales, customer contact, and installation. At the same time, GST is developing a major national advertising/public relations campaign that will educate the public about the virtue of all-electric living and will provide licensees with additional leads, removing the expense of lead generation. GST is compensated with a 7.5% licensing fee on each sale/installation.

The SmartGreen Home technology starts with an energy audit and blower door test.

The gas furnace, water heater, gas stove, and other gas appliances are removed, eliminating gas lines and the harmful use of methane. To streamline this process, GST utilizes proprietary online software and technology for analyzing homes, providing estimates, and starting projects very quickly. 

Geothermal Heat Pumps

The SmartGreen Home™ system includes an option for the GST geothermal heat pump system. It can heat and cool the whole home while handling much of the load of a companion heat pump water heater. It is extremely valuable for the right homeowner and is especially suited to larger homes and for those who can afford the reliability and comfort of these highly efficient systems.

Marketing – The Key to the Zero Carbon Renovation Revolution

Once a homeowner understands the clear superiority of the all-electric home and that there is no compromise in comfort, they will be excellent candidates for purchasing a system. To that end, GST’s national advertising campaign to introduce the SmartGreen home will begin this spring with the key themes of Eco Luxurious and Healthy Homes – Healthy Planet.  Homeowners are particularly motivated to go all-electric when they understand the health benefits to their family and understand the basic concept that “Gas is choking the environment and choking your family.”  In addition, most homeowners are motivated by lowering their energy bills close to zero. While not all homes will get all the way to zero, the HERS ratings, which will vary from home to home, should be in the single digits,  with the goal of having no gas bill and minimal electricity bills.  With battery or EV energy storage, a homeowner could also be compensated by selling electricity back to the grid during peak demand.

Utilizing existing solar installers as licensed dealers for the sale and installation of the SmartGreen system, combined with its national advertising, marketing and lead generation plan, GST intends to provide a much broader public understanding of and interest in energy efficiency renovations. This aggressive marketing, along with GST having hundreds of licensees across the country installing thousands of SmartGreen Home Systems, will help accelerate the zero renovation revolution and establish the SmartGreen brand as the “Gold Standard” for the green all-electric home.

How GST Addresses the Resistance Factors

GST offers three tiers of SmartGreen Home renovation packages to homeowners catering to their specific needs and income levels: Silver, Gold, and Platinum priced at $40,000, $60,000, and $80,000 (after generous tax incentives). The most significant factor holding them back from renovating on the path to zero energy and zero carbon is the upfront costs for most homeowners. To address this, GST offers 100% financing at low rates, with monthly utility savings often covering the monthly payments. 

GST presents the SmartGreen Home system as a wise investment for the homeowner. A typical home will appraise $20 more per annual dollar saved by a more efficient energy system. SmartGreen Homes systems often save a homeowner between $2,000 and $6,000 in utility bills annually, so, at $20 per annual dollar saved, there is an increase of $40,000 to $120,000 respectively in the home appraisal. The actual appreciation is likely more than that. 

Another resistance factor to energy efficiency renovations is the disruption and inconvenience to the homeowner and their family while renovating. GST addresses this by aiming to complete the work within two to three weeks of issuing the permit and by allowing the homeowner to remain at home while the renovation is completed.

Driving the Zero Carbon Renovation Revolution

GST, along with other national startups, such as Sealed and Saaf, will help create the consumer demand needed to transform the existing housing stock into energy-efficient healthy homes through the power of marketing. The transition to all-electric homes is imminent, and GST has the opportunity to make an immense contribution to the battle against climate change – all the while fulfilling their fiduciary duty to shareholders with a highly profitable business model.  It aims to be a win for homeowners, a win for investors, and a win for the climate and the planet’s future well-being.

JP Barton is a long-time Colorado-based environmental activist investor and former investment banker. He advises companies, including GST and other ESG companies, on capital formation and growth strategies. He is a leading proponent of solar energy and an aggressive transition away from fossil fuel to a future of all zero-carbon 100% electric homes and electric vehicles.

Reference

constructionmaking-eco-friendly-cement-with-microbes
CategoriesSustainable News

Harnessing microbes to grow cement

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: Cement has a huge carbon footprint – contributing up to 8 per cent of total global emissions. Much of this comes from the process of heating limestone to very high temperatures. This not only uses a tremendous amount of energy but also releases carbon dioxide directly. Now, startup Biomason has developed a way to ‘grow’ a cement substitute using micro-organisms.

The startup uses a process similar to how coral reefs and shells are formed, where organisms lay down layers of calcium carbonate. The company starts with recycled aggregate. This consists of the tiny bits of material that are held together by cement in concrete. Biomason then adds a strain of bacteria, along with the calcium, carbon and nutrients the bacteria needs to grow. As the micro-organisms grow, they produce calcium carbonate, which acts like a glue to secure the aggregate together.

The process operates at room temperate, reducing the need for heating. It also cures more rapidly than cement, and the end product is stronger than traditional concrete. The company is currently making small quantities of a tile called Biolith for industrial clients. Because the process can use existing concrete production facilities, it should be relatively cheap to scale up. Currently, several concrete producers are examining ways to incorporate Biolith production into their plants.

Biomason founder Ginger Krieg Dosier explains that the product does not need to be disruptive in order to make a big difference. “It didn’t make sense to disrupt everything in the entire concrete value chain. From day one, even before Biomason was named, it was very important for us to develop a technology that was easy to use, especially with existing concrete producers.”

Tackling the high environmental cost of concrete production is very high on the list of green researchers and entrepreneurs. Some of the other ideas we have seen at Springwise include solar-powered cement production and a bio-concrete made from weeds and shells.

Written By: Matthew Hempstead

7th March 2022

Website: biomason.com

Contact: biomason.com/contact

Reference

CategoriesSustainable News

A portable device rapidly detects toxins in crops

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: Mycotoxins are poisonous substances produced by fungi. They can be found in food, with around 25 per cent of agricultural commodities affected each year. Cereals, nuts, spices, dried fruits, apples, and coffee beans are particularly susceptible. Not only does this pose a threat to human health – it also leads to food waste. And climate change is contributing to the challenge, with increasingly humid conditions leading to higher rates of mycotoxin contamination in food products and animal feed.

Due to the threat posed by mycotoxins, agricultural produce must be tested. But many traditional techniques require both skilled personnel and the use of a laboratory. This leads to a slow turnaround time of around seven days.

To tackle this, Kyiv-based startup BIOsens, has developed a portable solution for testing crops in the field. This consists of a device that can be used by untrained personnel outside of a lab setting. The device is unique in automating the preparation of crop samples and can analyse the mycotoxin content of crops within 21 minutes – allowing farming companies to make quick decisions on crop management. Information on the results is provided in an easy-to-access format via a mobile app.

The company stresses that the precision offered by lab tests is valuable, but that immediate results from field tests are more important for farmers who need to make decisions on the ground.

The startup was founded in 2018 and has spent the last three years developing and testing its technology. The company’s plans are for commercial sales to begin by the end of 2022.

Reducing food waste is crucial for curbing climate change.
Other innovations spotted by Springwise that tackle the issue include a food
preservative that modifies
the air around produce, and a digital
platform that connect food producers who have surplus or imperfect produce
with manufacturers who can use it.

Written By: Matthew Hempstead

4th March 2022

Email: info@sens.bio

Website: sens.bio

Reference

CategoriesSustainable News

Supporting plant growth with captured CO2

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas harmful to our planet. But it is also a commodity. Plants use CO2 in photosynthesis, and increasing its concentration in a contained environment like a greenhouse increases crop yields, boosting profits. Commercial growers therefore purchase CO2 for use in climate-controlled systems. Currently, commercial CO2 is produced as a byproduct of burning natural gas for heating. The other main option is a system based on CO2 in liquified form.

Now, Kyiv-based Carbominer has developed a new carbon capturing module that produces agricultural CO2 in a new way – by capturing it from ambient air. This system is installed on-site at a grower’s facility so there is no need to transport or liquify the CO2. This saves both emissions and money. In fact, the company claims that the CO2 it sells is at least 35 per cent cheaper than prices in most developed markets.

Carbominer undertakes the installation of the capturing module itself, taking on the associated costs. The customer then purchases the CO2 of the company at a target price of €135 per ton of CO2 – the lowest currently on the market.

In addition to providing growers with a good deal, by removing CO2 from the air and feeding it to plants in the contained setting of a greenhouse, the company is helping to tackle the greenhouse effect in the world at large.

While Carbominer’s initial target market is agriculture, there are many further commercial uses for CO2, which the company may explore in the future – such as carbonated drinks, fire extinguishers, and enhanced oil and gas recovery. While some of these other uses involve the gas returning to the atmosphere, by reducing indirect emissions from transport and liquification, the Carbominer system will still lead to environmental benefits compared to other production methods.

Springwise has spotted several other carbon capture
innovations. One converts captured CO2 into
aviation fuel, while another stores
it in rocks.

Written By: Matthew Hempstead

4th March 2022

Email: hello@carbominer.com

Website: carbominer.com

Reference