by Brianna Crandall — March 30, 2012—OriginOil, Inc., developer of a breakthrough technology to convert algae into renewable crude oil, recently received a firm order from its French joint venture partner Ennesys to supply OriginOil’s Algae Appliance harvester and other components for a test of urban algae production. Located in the iconic La Défense complex near Paris, the program aims to show that algae production can be integrated into large building complexes to help bring them closer to using net-zero energy.
Utilizing the enormous amount of wastewater flushed down the pipes in large buildings every day, the greentech entrepreneurs at OriginOil, a start-up based in Los Angeles, California, created a system that repurposes the wastewater to nourish algae growth. Then the algae is processed to both generate heat for tenants and to treat the water.
The Ennesys demonstration is designed to test the suitability of algae production in helping large commercial buildings achieve a positive energy balance and natural water management, as envisioned by France’s RT 2020 sustainable energy framework. Partial funding is anticipated from regional government entities.
At 40 percent of total consumption, buildings are reportedly Europe’s greatest source of energy demand. France has taken the ambitious step of mandating that by 2020, all new buildings must generate more clean energy than they consume, and must purify and recycle water naturally.
These regulations are seen as a major market opportunity for algae, says OriginOil. In addition to being a source of clean energy and water management, algae absorbs large amounts of CO2, creating a carbon-neutral fuel that eliminates equivalent amounts of emissions from fossil fuels.
