S-COOL redefining cooling systems

An increase in the number of hot days globally and the rise in living standards, has seen demand for air-conditioning (AC) increase. It is estimated that by 2050 there will be 4.5 billion AC units in service (currently 1.2 billion units). This will triple the global energy demand for ACs and drastically increase the emission of CO2 that will be responsible for over 0.5°C increase in global warming by 2100.

We invented a new AC system that uses 46% less electricity. This invention can reduce the climate impact of cooling systems by 80%, preventing billions of tons of CO2-equivalent emissions by 2050. 70% of our AC is made with recycled materials and uses non-hazardous gases instead of traditional refrigerant gas. We need to cool the people and planet at the same time and our innovative air-conditioning technology enables us to do that.

Studies show that existing cooling appliances use 10% of total global electricity consumption, contributing enormously to global warming. An increase in the number of hot days globally and the rise in living standards, has seen demand for air-conditioning (AC) increase. It is estimated that by 2050 there will be 4.5 billion AC units in service (currently 1.2 billion units). This will triple the global energy demand for ACs and drastically increase the emission of CO2 that will be responsible for over 0.5°C increase in global warming by 2100.

Only 8% of 2.8 billion people who are living in the hottest parts of the world have air conditioners. Without a doubt, access to comfort cooling can no longer be considered a luxury and is critical for many communities around the world. However, existing base-market ACs uses highly pollutant refrigerants and consume a lot of energy, could possibly be one of the largest end-use risks to our climate.

Currently, there is no existing AC system with low climate impact, small electricity usage and low price for consumers and at the same time have low operation cost for both people and planet.

Increasing the hot days and number of populations in countries in tropical area change the perspective towards the cooling technologies. Today, cooling technology is needed more than ever but because of the high operation cost majority of the populations in countries in tropical area do not have access to AC systems. Our solution changes this concept and make it accessible and affordable for all.

The United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals aim to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all. Accessible and low-cost cooling technology, properly applied, can make a dramatic difference in three of the most critical areas: No Poverty, No Hunger, and Good Health, potentially improving the quality of life for some of the world’s most underprivileged people.

By apply the same technology to refrigeration systems and produce low operation cost refrigeration which is one of the growing needs in developing countries will enable them to reduce the health risk of food poisoning caused by poor refrigeration. UN’s recent studies show that refrigeration and a sustainable cold chain can potentially reduce and ultimately end extreme poverty for 836 million people. Our technology will make this accessible with low cost and low environmental impact.

We have transformed air-conditioning technology by changing its design, material, refrigerant media and operation concept.

Our invented AC technology uses 46% less electricity, generates less heat and overall has 5X lower climate impact. Our invention merges lower electricity consumption, reusing the heat and cooling technology together which results in reducing the climate impact of cooling systems by 80% and preventing billions of tons of CO2-equivalent emissions by 2050.

 

We are combining a new concept of heat exchange with thermoelectric materials for the first time in order to improve the heat transfer efficiency while transforming generated heat to electricity. The system then re-uses this electricity to operate the AC. Also, increasing the thermal conductivity and removing the compressor enable us to reduce the required electricity for operating this AC system by 46%. This mean with the same infrastructure we can run double AC systems and reducing the burden on electricity grids already straining at their limits.

 

By changing the design of the heat exchange module of AC we do not need to use any type of hydrofluorocarbons, or HFCs, the greenhouse gases found in almost all modern air-conditioners. Our new design and new material open the door to using non-toxic and non-greenhouse-gas in our system which is eliminating the emissions of these gases through air-conditioning systems. This will facilitate the achieving the Kigali Amendment commitment for reducing the HFCs by 85% by 2036.

 

In our solution we have four aspect of improving energy efficiency:

1.       Transforming generated heat in air-conditioning system to electricity.

2.       Reusing this electricity in the same AC.

3.       Eliminating the usage of traditional refrigerant gases which eliminate condenser stage of air-conditioning and improve the energy efficiency

4.       Increasing thermal transfer capacity of heat exchange module which will increase energy efficiency

 

Additionally, using waste materials for producing more than 70% of components of this new air-conditioning system reduces embedded carbon and reduces the required raw materials and their associated embedded energy.  

 

This new AC system has very small operation cost and its production costs are similar to existing ACs on the market. This will revolutionise the air-conditioning industry and make it affordable and assessible for everyone.

We have invented a new air-conditioning (AC) technology that uses 46% less electricity, generates less heat and overall has 5X lower climate impact. Our invention merges lower electricity consumption, profit and technology together, reducing the climate impact of cooling systems by 80%, preventing billions of tons of CO2-equivalent emissions by 2050. We estimate the impact of our solution would be equivalent to the annual emissions of more than 3100 coal-fired power plants, thus potentially avoiding 0.5°C of global warming by 2100.

 

We have brought our extensive experience in manufacturing, materials science and engineering to our research and development, and have transformed air-conditioning technology by changing its design, material, refrigerant media and operation concept.

 

By changing the design of the heat exchange module of AC we use non-hazardous gases as refrigerant media. Thermoelectric materials enable the transformation of heat generated during operation of the AC to electricity. The system then re-uses this electricity to operate the AC.

 

Waste plastics and waste materials have been used to produce different components of this device maintaining high quality, while reducing the environmental impact of the system.

 

This will revolutionise the air-conditioning industry and make it affordable and assessible for everyone.

Our core technology has three main components: 

• Innovative design for heat exchange
• Transforming the generated heat to electricity

• Producing high quality components from 100% waste

Through introducing our innovative design and high thermal conductive materials for heat exchange modules we have reduced the weight of the heat exchange by 37% while increasing the thermal conductivity by 21%. This new concept has already been used in new generation of heat sinks in LED lamps and large electrical transformer. We are bringing this new concept of heat exchange and combined it with thermoelectric materials for the first time in order to improve the heat transfer efficiency while transforming generated heat to electricity.

In our system we are transforming generated heat in the AC and reuse it in the same system. This new approach enables us to reduce the electricity usage by 46%.

In addition, we are using waste materials for producing different components of our AC system. In total 70% of our system has been produced by waste materials which is a unique feature of our system and reduce the carbon footprint of our product.

We have combined all these innovative technologies in a package similar to existing AC systems and we do not need additional space or accessories for installing our S-Cool system. It can be done similar to existing AC systems.

In our solution, the heat generated by the system is used to generate electricity which is then re-used in the system. This results in much lower operating costs of our system than existing air-conditioning systems due to the lower electricity usage while the production costs of our system are similar to existing ACs. On the other hand, due to the usage of less electricity and reusing the generated heat we have reduced the climate impact of our system drastically. In addition to these we are using waste materials as resource for producing our product.

We have designed our system in a way that it has similar size and dimension of the existing AC systems in the market and also installation and operation of it is very similar. This will enable the smooth transition of existing AC systems to S-Cool system without any change for the customer.

Lower operation cost of our systems will result in massive uptake with the users while reducing the pressure on the electricity grid and at the same time reducing the cost of electricity for communities.  Also, because we are using waste, we put value on waste materials and redefining the meaning of waste to resource. In this way we are changing the behaviour and reducing the pressure on landfills and environment.

We believe that we can change the AC industry for good and we will initiate the big shift in the industry by showcasing the next big change in AC industry.

Our solution is at the pilot stage at this moment and we are planning to start production soon which will enable us to serve more than 100 people in one year time and after that it will increase exponentially and we will reach to 10,000,000 people in five years’ time. This solution has the potential for scaling massively. We have the target to installing these units in shopping centres, commercial buildings and offices as it will cut the electricity cost drastically and they can recover their installation cost very soon and at the same time it will add to their carbon footprint and will enable them to go carbon natural sooner. Also, we believe that our system will get support from different local government for their facilities as our system has less operation cost and at the same time less harm on environment.

Our goal is to start producing these units in next one year which will enable us to start to receive some income and revenue from our air-conditioning units. After that we have plan to expand it internationally and serve the customer in different countries. This enable us to reach to the goal of serving 10,000,000 people in 5 years.

 This concept will change the whole air-conditioning industry and in next ten years will completely shift the approach of other manufacturer of air-conditioning. We believe that this invention is like the invention of electric car and how Tesla by bringing the electrical cars in commercial scale has changed the whole perspective of car industry, we will change the perspective of air-conditioning and refrigeration industry. This project will make the air-conditioning green, accessible and with low operation cost. There is huge potential for this technology to scale up as there is huge market demand for this new innovation and we are dedicated to change the air-conditioning technology in the world.

We are at the stage that we need to start producing these units and conduct massive testing to achieve operation, production and performance excellent. For achieving this we need attract investors for investing in this new solution. In addition, we need to have access to different logistic, marketing and supply chain solutions. At the same time, we need to have better understanding of how we can scale up the company and how we can reach to larger number of costumers.

For us marketing, networking and finding the best partner is a huge step and we need assistant in these areas. As we are entering to a stablished market which has not been changed for decades, we need to find the best strategy to overcome this barrier and find the best way to be able to scale.

We have demonstrated the success of this solution at the pilot scale and we have obtained some grants and funding. At this stage we are in the preparation for presenting this new solution to some potential investors for acquiring the required budget for taking this solution to production.

Also, we are aiming to find a best place and best network like Solve to enable us to find the best approach and best strategy for going ahead. We are looking to find a way to get the access to a network of highly talented group of people to enable us to overcome our barriers.  

We have two full time staff working on this solution. In addition, 4 part-time staff also helped in some part of this solution.

I am highly qualified, award winning research scientist, published author who has more than 14 years of experience working with different manufacturing sectors and providing my own solutions to enables step change in sustainable manufactured goods.

I have been recognised widely for my innovations in Australia and internationally and I have published more than 102 articles, book chapters, journal papers and industry reports in more than 17 countries and secured 6 international patents.

My main contribution to manufacturing, research and communities worldwide can be summarised through:

• World-leading research and research impact – reflecting my contribution to highly original research that is solving serious global problems.
• Partnerships – through my key role in developing productive collaborative relationships with industries, business and social enterprises.
• Significant contribution to prosperity and social justice – through innovative waste solutions that reduce costs to business to deliver economic benefits, while alleviating pressures on landfills and raw materials and resources.

 Dr. Narjes, PhD will lead the innovation part of this project develops the strategic direction with respect to innovation and identifies what we need to focus on. She is holding a PhD in Computational Materials Science and she has a lot of experience in writing codes and creating simulation tools for materials design.

Sheis an authority on materials science who has made a considerable contribution to our understanding of the behaviour of materials at different conditions. As a result of her works in the past 15 years new materials and new applications has been introduced.

We are working collaboratively with Resource Recycling Australia (RRA) a national not-for-profit social enterprise that provides consulting, training and operational waste services. We are working together for reusing some of the waste materials to produce high quality components and creating local jobs.

Also, we are starting to work with a new start up that is working on new concept on a carbon neutral venue that is wholly designed through a looped economy framework. It is a high-quality restaurant and art play venue for families. It is a place where young and old all enjoy their time at the restaurant where food and play are intertwined in a sustainable experience on so many levels. It explores play, enquiry and imagination and links it to cultural and family experiences. Its high-end art play designed by major international artists and sophisticated design and food and completely sustainable.

Our model is to obtain some investment money and link to the network that can enable us to overcome our challenges and then start production of these new air-conditioning systems and after this stage by selling these AC units and generating revenue our company will sustain and grow from there.

We had obtained some grants which enables us to achieve to the pilot scale and now we are in process of getting some grants and raising investment capital to go to the production stage. After that stage we will generate revenue which will make us financially sustainable.

We are excited and very interested to be part of the SOLVE community. Having access to the mentors, investors and being part of this community will be a game changer opportunity and we know that it will change the whole dynamic of our solution. It enables us to achieve much more and able to change the air-conditioning industry. It also enables us to provide low cost air-conditioning system to people living in hot climate which will increase their health and productivity.

Through SOLVE we would like to get mentorship to build a good international sustainable business, fundraise and access related networks. Going further, we also would want experienced advisory board in the area of building environment themed business models.

We would like to partner with Tesla as we believe our new system can make a step change in the AC system in their cars as it will reduce the usage of electricity in their products.

Also, we like to be able to partner with apple or google as we think they will be interested in this type of technology which will change the whole dynamic of the market and living standard of the people while not harming our environment and our planet.

In addition, it would be amazing to partner with a cold-chain logistic organisation, NGOs and marketing groups. 

In our process we will use waste materials to produce 70% of our system. This new concept of using waste materials to produce high quality products will encourage the concept of waste is value and will shift the approach towards waste. It will clearly demonstrate that waste is high quality products which can be used again if we use simple and innovative solutions.

This prize will enable us to produce higher quality products from waste and reduce the cost associated with the waste processing. At the same time the networking and leverage that we can get from this prize will facilitate the demonstration of waste is value and how we can upcycle our waste.

We believe that our solution

• Solves serious global waste problems
• Demonstrates to industry and communities how to implement sustainable solutions
• Significantly contribute to prosperity and social justice – through innovative waste solutions that reduce costs to business to deliver economic benefits, while alleviating pressures on landfills and raw materials and resources.

We are part of a program called science 50:50. This program aim to encourage young girls to persuade the study in science and engineering fields in universities. As part of this program we are organising talks and outreaches in schools and communities to clarify their questions about science and engineering and introduce amazing aspect of studying in this area.

Also, we believe that our solution, S-Cool system, in some part of the world will have greater impact on the life of girls and woman as it will enable them to have better air quality in their home and workplace and their homes which will increase their comfort and productivity. Specially for those who need to work long hours at homes or outside home in hot and humidity climate.

Our team also follow have the equal contribution from men and women which is a clear demonstration of what we believe.

This award will empower us to expand our reach towards educating and encouraging more girls for studying in science and engineering and at the same time will give us the required tools to reach more people with our solution.