Solaga develops living algae pictures for better indoor air. Alwe acts as an air purifier that uses the biological superpowers of microalgae to turn grey areas into green lungs.
Der Algenbiofilm befindet sich in einem speziell angefertigten Rahmenkonzept. Über Öffnungen an den Seiten kann Luft von den Algen angezogen werden. Die entstehende Wärme trägt zu einem Kamineffekt bei und die Luft strömt durch die oberen Öffnungen wieder in den Raum. Dabei passiert die Luft die Algen, welche ihr Schadstoffe (C02, Stickstoff, Feinstaub und volatile Gase) entziehen. Über eine eingepasste Tankkonstruktion können die Algen sich mit Wasser versorgen. So trägt Alwe zu einer natürlichen Luftreinigung – ohne Stromverbrauch – bei.
beispielsweise Zimmerpflanzen und können so eine Vielzahl von Schadstoffen abbauen. Dazu haben sie außergewöhnliche Photosysteme entwickelt, welche sich von jenen der Pflanzen deutlich unterscheiden.
What our customers say
um die
...litres of air a person breathes every day
um die
...percent of our time is spent indoors
Bis zu
Prozent der Schadstoffe
eines Raums von 25 qm
werden durch ein Algenbild
aufgenommen
We have an air problem.
Humanity is growing, cities are getting denser and our breathing air is getting worse.
Air pollutants affect us every day. As an invisible problem, we usually only recognize it when it is too late.
WHO
The WHO estimates that approximately 91% of the world's population live in areas where WHO guidelines for air pollution are exceeded.
These violations cause the death of about 4.2 million people every year.
Alwe
Ca. 30 – 50 % der Schadstoffe eines Raumes mit einer Fläche von 25 m² werden durch Alwe aufgenommen.
Dies wurde durch Messungen bestätigt, welche an der Technischen Universität Berlin und der Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung durchgeführt wurden.
Functional interior design with ALWE
An air purifier for your home and office
Alwe, our natural square garden for the wall, not only contributes to a natural atmosphere in your interiors, but is also able to effectively filter air pollutants from your indoor air.
The advantages of our algae picture, compared to conventional plants and pictures in the living room and office, are numerous:
Unser Algenbild ist Luftreiniger, Luftbefeuchter und modernes Einrichtungsstück zugleich. Durch unseren Mikroalgen-Biofilm erfolgt eine sauerstoffproduzierende Photosynthese bei minimalem Platzbedarf. Effizienter als gewöhnliche Pflanzen schafft unser Algenbild auf diese Weise ein angenehmes Raumklima und bindet die Luftschadstoffe in Ihren Räumlichkeiten. Zudem ist Alwe nicht einfach nur ein grünes Bild, sondern bietet durch sein minimalistisches Design einen außergewöhnlichen Blickfang mit lebendigen, atmenden Materialien. Damit ist Alwe ideal für eine moderne Gestaltung Ihrer Wohn- und Büroräume.
Air purification with algae - Solaga
FAQ
What are microalgae?
Microalgae are the ancestors of complex land plants. Fossil finds indicate that these organisms have existed since 2.5 billion years and have laid the foundations for the existence of higher life forms through their mass production of oxygen. Cyanobacteria, i.e. blue-green algae, are also commonly classified as microalgae. Together with the rainforests, they are among the largest oxygen producers on the planet.
Microalgae are unicellular microorganisms belonging to the class of phototrophic organisms, i.e. carrying out photosynthesis. This means that microalgae, just like plants, use light to bind carbon dioxide, thereby releasing oxygen. In our algae picture Alwe we use specially selected microalgae, which can be found in nature under stones. As a result, these organisms are adapted to perform effective photosynthesis even under difficult light conditions - such as those we find in our indoor environments. For this purpose, they have developed extraordinary photosystems that are clearly different from those of plants.
Why are microalgae more effective than plants?
Algae films have not yet been researched in the long term, as these materials are completely new. However, we have not been able to identify any time limits in our previous R&D projects. Some of our algae films are already 4 years old and still healthy and productive, which is even more important. As algae films are living materials, no general statement can be made about their lifetime, as this obviously depends on care and local conditions. As far as we know, however, our biofilms are very robust, making them suitable even for users with brown rather than green thumbs.
What is Alwe?
Alwe is the world's first living algae picture that actively improves the ambient air.
It is a natural air purifier and eye catcher in one.
The dimensions of our algae picture Alwe are 50x50x5cm.
How does Alwe work?
Alwe consists of a special algae film in an ingenious frame. Why ingenious? There are openings on the sides of the frame. This is where the room air flows in. The algae filter out air pollutants, and because they heat the air by photosynthesis, the air rises out through the upper openings. The resulting chimney effect creates a natural circulation of air.
How long do the algae live?
Normally algae need a lot of water. However, by means of a special ripening process, we make algae grow very densely on a surface and form a natural protective layer. This protective layer is called the exopolysaccharide layer and protects the algae from dehydration, contamination and other stress factors. This special type of growth therefore makes the algae durable and reduces its water requirements by a factor of 100 compared to other types of cultivation for algae.
Algenfilme und deren Lebensdauer sind größtenteils ein wissenschaftliches Novum und noch nicht langzeitlich erforscht. Wir haben jedoch festgestellt, dass selbst Algenfilme, die bereits 4 Jahre alt sind, weiterhin aktiv und stabil bleiben. Da es sich um lebendige Organismen handelt, kann man dennoch keine pauschale Aussage bezüglich der Lebensdauer der Algen treffen, da diese selbstverständlich auch von der Pflege und den örtlichen Gegebenheiten abhängt. Solange sie regelmäßig mit Wasser versorgt werden, leben sie bis zu mehreren Jahren.
Can Alwe break and the microalgae spread?
No, the microalgae cannot spread. Inside Alwe there is an artificial ecosystem that the microalgae need in order to survive. Outside of Alwe the microalgae are not viable and cannot spread. Alwe is thoroughly checked for leaks before delivery. We can accordingly guarantee that when Alwe is installed, there are no leaks that could promote the possible spread of algae.
The algae used in Alwe are natural and harmless. They are immobilised on a surface and can be easily collected and disposed of via bio bin or normal household waste.
Rein äußerlich ist unser Algenbild einem Bild mit Bilderrahmen ähnlich.
Are the microalgae safe?
Our carefully cultivated microalgae are organisms which belong to the so-called security level 1. This means organisms that are unlikely to have a negative effect on health. They are therefore not dangerous to animals, humans, plants or water and can be used without any restrictions. Organisms from the food industry such as yoghurt, baker's yeast or sauerkraut cultures belong to the same safety class.
Our biofilms are produced under sterile conditions. Only when the biofilms have formed their characteristic protective skin layer are they released by us for usage in the algae image "Alwe".
