Performance Analysis of Indoor CO₂ Capture Methods across Operational Contexts for Building Emissions Reduction
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65582/gd.2026.002Keywords:
Indoor carbon capture, Building energy saving, Urban decarbonization, Indoor air qualityAbstract
Developing low-carbon buildings with low energy consumption and healthy indoor environments is paramount for urban decarbonization, yet it remains challenging. The challenge stems from the conflicting demands on ventilation rates for maintaining low heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) energy demands and high indoor air quality. Indoor CO2 capture (ICC) technologies offer a potential solution by directly capturing indoor CO2 rather than relying on high ventilation to expel it. The effectiveness of ICC is closely related to the involved capture methods and working environment, yet an analytical model that can articulate such an interplay is lacking, hindering contextually optimal design for broad implementation. Here, we develop an analytical ICC model applicable to different capture methods and operational scenarios, enabling contextual performance analysis across varying occupancy profiles. Results show that using capture methods with higher capture rates enables ICC to achieve greater energy savings and reduced carbon emissions, although excessive capture may consume more energy than it saves. To identify feasible working conditions, we develop phase maps of ICC’s CO2 capture rates and specific energy consumption values that can achieve net energy savings and net CO2 emission reduction. ICC is found most effective under higher HVAC load conditions, such as in cold, hot, humid, or crowded environments. In Xi’an, China, for instance, ICC achieves average energy savings of 65.6% in winter, 37.9% in summer, and 28.5% annually, with a maximum CO2 emission reduction of 13.4 kg/day for a medium-sized office. This study provides a framework for evaluating and optimizing ICC systems, offering insights into promoting practical and wide deployment of ICCs for reducing building carbon emissions.
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