Ontario-based Evercloak has been awarded $3 million in funding from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to support a pilot project advancing the commercialization of its building dehumidification technology.
Initially, Evercloak will receive $350,000 to accelerate the production of its graphene oxide composite membrane and build an advanced dehumidification system prototype. The system will be enabled by Evercloak's proprietary membrane, which allows water vapor to pass through while blocking the passage of air.
"Conventional air conditioning uses so much energy because it cools and dehumidifies at the same time, chilling the air until the moisture condenses out," explains Evercloak CEO Evelyn Allen. "By separating those two steps and using membrane-based technology to handle the dehumidification, we can achieve the same building cooling results using far less energy."
NYSERDA might extend the award, providing an additional $1.15 million to fund the development of a full-scale HVAC system and its commercial demonstration in a New York City building once the scale-up phase is complete.
Evercloak expects the technology will help reduce emissions within the State's building sector by 40% and minimize the sector's peak energy consumption by 25%, thus eliminating 2-5 megatons of CO2 equivalents a year. It will also make cooling more affordable, enhancing the quality of life for residents during the summer season.
The award is part of NYSERDA's NextGen Buildings Innovation Challenges, which supports companies developing, commercializing, and demonstrating new technologies to strengthen building performance and energy efficiency, as well as reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The program supports innovative technologies including ground source heat pumps, cutting-edge geothermal technologies, and novel building envelope solutions in addition to intelligent building control solutions.
