Work

From buildings to crops: a techno-economic and environmental analysis of DAC-HVAC integration for CO2 enrichment in agricultural greenhouses

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: • CO 2 captured in buildings via DAC-HVAC is routed to enrich greenhouses. • GIS maps CO 2 source–sink routes and clusters greenhouses into four zones. • TEA & LCA assess costs, impacts, and viability across clusters. • LCOC is $202/tCO 2 ; produce LCOP is between $1.19–$1.229/kg across clusters. • Best cluster: LCOP $1.19/kg, DPP 4.25 years, BEU 488 tons; and CC impact 0.945 kg CO 2 eq./kg. • Solar energy cuts climate impacts by 66% and LCOP by 18–74% vs grid power. Arid regions face dual pressures of food security and decarbonization amid high cooling demand in buildings. This study presents an integrated techno-economic and life cycle environmental assessment of a carbon capture and utilization (CCU) system that combines Direct Air Capture integrated with Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (DAC-HVAC) and CO 2 utilization in agricultural greenhouses. The system captures CO 2 from indoor air in buildings to support controlled-environment food production, with a focus on deployment in arid regions such as Qatar. A Geographic Information System (GIS)-based spatial analysis was conducted to map a representative CO 2 source and potential greenhouse sinks, perform optimal source-sink routing, and group greenhouses into four spatial clusters for localized modeling and sensitivity analyses. The base model couples the GIS layer with (i) a DAC-HVAC thermodynamic model to evaluate the energy requirements and (ii) a greenhouse model that simulates CO 2 assimilation, water consumption, and HVAC energy demand in greenhouses at each cluster location, using site-specific climatic data. The results from system modeling were used to conduct a comprehensive economic analysis to assess system costs and financial viability, followed by a cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment (LCA) to quantify seven environmental impacts using ReCipe 1.08 midpoint method. Robustness was examined by varying cluster locations (transport distance and climatic conditions) and solar energy integration. The DAC-HVAC system achieved a levelized cost of capture (LCOC) of $202/ton CO 2 , and when integrated with CO 2 utilization in greenhouses, resulted in a levelized cost of production (LCOP) ranging from $1.19 to $1.229/kg of produce, depending on the cluster location (as determined by GIS-based spatial clustering by proximity) and corresponding climatic conditions. Among the four greenhouse clusters, Cluster 2 has the most favorable performance, achieving the lowest LCOP ($1.19/kg), shortest discounted payback period (DPP) (4.25 years), and smallest break-even units (BEU) (488 tons), alongside the lowest environmental burdens, including a climate change impact of 0.945 kg CO 2 eq./kg. In contrast, Cluster 1 performed worst economically due to long CO 2 transport distances, while Cluster 4 incurred the highest environmental impacts due to elevated energy and water use. Integration of renewable energy sources, particularly solar, has proved to significantly enhance sustainability outcomes. Solar energy reduced climate change impacts by up to 66 % and lowered LCOP by up to 18 % compared to subsidized and 74 % compared to unsubsidized grid electricity. Accordingly, policy should prioritize CO 2 routing via spatial planning, account for site-specific climatic drivers of energy and water demand into planning future greenhouse locations, and accelerate solar adoption to realize the quantified reductions in cost and environmental impact

Source: Energy Conversion and Management X

DOI: 10.1016/j.ecmx.2025.101335

Authors: Ikhlas Ghiat, Aliya Banu, Namra Mir, Abdulkarem I. Amhamed, Tareq Al-Ansari, Yusuf Bicer

Institutions: Hamad bin Khalifa University, Qatar Foundation

Language: English

Topic: Carbon Dioxide Capture Technologies

Subfield: Mechanical Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences