Solaga

biological air purification from algae

Our philosophy

Solaga is a biotech company, which has made it its business to free the air from harmful pollutants. To achieve this goal, we take advantage of the morphological properties of microalgae.

 

Günder des Startup Solaga

mission

Our mission is to rid the air we breathe of dangerous pollutants so we can all live longer, healthier lives.

vision

Our vision is to establish algae in society. Through the implementation of our projects, algae should be able to be used as biological air purifiers in all areas of life.

technology

Our technologies are based on the natural properties of microalgae. In nature, the small organisms use air pollutants as a nutrient medium for their growth.

Our solution

Neben Großprojekten wie Fassadenbegrünungen und urbanen Filtern für Innenstädte möchten wir vor allem Bereiche, in denen wir Menschen uns am häufigsten aufhalten, von Luftschadstoffen befreien. – Dem eigenen Zuhause sowie dem Arbeitsplatz.

Hierfür entwickelten wir den Mikroalgen-Biofilm, bestehend aus lebenden Algen. Diese sind aufgrund ihrer physiologischen Eigenschaften in der Lage Luftschadstoffe wie Feinstaub, Stickoxide und weitere gesundheitsschädlichen Chemikalien aufzunehmen, umzuwandeln und als Nährmedium für ihr Wachstum zu verwenden.

algae wall

Ein Wasserfall der über einen Biofilm aus Algen fließt.

Diese Algenwand ist als Raumteiler oder Wandbegrünung für ihr Büro konzipiert. Sie besteht aus Biofilmen, welche als natürliches Material für die Absorption von Schadstoffen fungieren und dabei Sauerstoff abgeben. Die großflächige Begrünung und der automatisierte, sichtbare Wasserlauf machen die Algenwand zu einem echten Hingucker. 

Algae picture

Alwe das Algenbild ist ein öko-effizientes 50x50cm großes Wanddekor, das die biologischen Eigenschaften der Mikroalgen nutzt, Luftschadstoffe zu binden und unschädlich zu machen.

Thanks to the natural chimney effect inside the picture, this is completely self-sufficient and noiseless.

Just hang your Alwe on the wall like a conventional picture and it will immediately start cleaning your air.  

projects

urbaner Algenfilter

Multifilter

In development

Urban air purification

Algae, unlike plants, do not need a specific substrate - no "soil". In the urban algae filter, algae arranged in multiple stages remove pollutants from roads and industrial plants.

facade greening

In development

Green facades

The research is focused on the development of new facade elements and builds on the vertical use of algae. At the end of the project, the first facade elements for houses and cities that are greened with algae will be manufactured.

Algencontainer solare Biogaspoduktion

biogas

In development

Green energy

Algae not only absorb pollutants, but also produce valuable materials in the process. Solaga deals with the entry into a circular economy and researches the production and use for the bioeconomy and green energy sources: hydrogen and biogas.

FAQ

Microalgae are unicellular microorganisms that belong to the class of phototrophic organisms, i.e. they carry out photosynthesis. This means that microalgae, just like plants, use light to bind carbon dioxide and release oxygen.

Alwe - The algae image uses specially selected microalgae, which are found in nature especially under stones. As a result, these organisms are adapted to be active even under very difficult light conditions - such as those we find in our interiors - and to carry out effective photosynthesis, among other things. For this purpose they have developed extraordinary photosystems, which are clearly different from those of plants.

Microalgae have a more flexible metabolism than plants, for example, and can therefore break down a large number of pollutants.

The current dimensions of Alwe50 are 50x50x5cm. The weight is 1.2 kg when empty and about 1.5 kg when filled.

In biologically correct terms, the algae are blue-green algae, i.e. cyanobacteria. These are adapted to low light and have special pigments that enable photosynthesis even at the lowest light levels. This makes microalgae biofilms more efficient than plants and also air improvers in places where plants die mercilessly. 

In investigations with the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing and the Technical University of Berlin, we have also discovered that microalgae biofilms can effectively bind air pollutants that are hazardous to health, such as nitrogen oxides and fine dust.

Initial tests at the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing also point to the reduction of volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) escaping from paints and building materials. Microalgae have a more flexible metabolism than plants, for example, and can therefore break down a large number of these pollutants.

Microalgae need light for their metabolism. Our algae picture is therefore best suited for rooms that are at least partially exposed to the sun.

However, please avoid attaching Alwe to surfaces that are often exposed to direct sunlight. If there is too much sunlight, more water will evaporate and the microalgae may start to break down their photo systems. The result is the fading of the biofilm. Should this happen, do not panic: Just leave Alwe in a shady place for some time and the biofilm will regenerate.

When designing Alwe, it was particularly important to us to keep the handling simple and manageable. That's why there is a small water tank in each Alwe, which needs to be refilled approximately every two weeks.

Yes, Alwe consists of living algae which adapt to the local light conditions. In shady areas the algae take on a deep green colour, as the micro-algae accumulate more pigments to absorb light more effectively. In semi-shade areas, the micro-algae need less pigments for successful photosynthesis and thus get a rather juicy and natural green colour.

In direct sunlight there is an overflow of energy in the algae. Under certain circumstances, this may cause the algae to actively break down their photo systems. The result is a colour change to light green or yellowish.

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.

With the purchase an Alwe we guarantee a minimum service life of 6 months. If problems occur within this period, you can return your Alwe without any problems and have it replaced by us.

Even after this period of 6 months you can of course always have your Alwe checked by us or you can try out one of our new biofilms. Please feel free to contact our service team.

In interiors, lighting in particular differs from natural light. Even with perceived bright interior lighting, the photosynthetically activating radiation is very low. This is because normal indoor lighting lacks the red and violet components of natural light that most plants need for photosynthesis. The microalgae biofilms we use, on the contrary, have special pigments that enable them to use light outside the red and violet spectrum for photosynthesis.

In addition, microalgae do not have roots or a stem and are therefore metabolically more effective compared to plants. 

Our carefully cultivated microalgae belong to the so-called safety level 1, which describes organisms that are unlikely to have a negative effect on health. This means that they are not dangerous to animals, humans, plants or water and can be used without restrictions. Organisms from the food industry such as cultures of yoghurt or baker's yeast also belong to this 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".

Awards

BIO Founders Competition

First place 

Approximately 100 guests from science, business and politics selected from new innovations.

German Sustainability Award

Nominated

Our Alwe was nominated for the "German Sustainability Award Design 2021".

Deutschland Land der Ideen

Award winner

The project "Solar Gas Plant Solaga" is one of the 100 innovative winners of the competition.

What We Build

The energy & technology we'll need for the future

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wind power generators

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Consumer Solar Solutions

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Youth Education Programs

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Alwe-Dry

CEO strategy

Our Scientific vision of energy sources

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Aabideen Shaq
Engineer

Clean Energy

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Project Assistance

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Action Research

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Long-term Planning

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Our solutions

energetic services & Solutions

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clean tech

Investing in wind power & clean energy

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cost reduction
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more power
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Cleaner energy
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Loremus Solarium project

Experience

installation & project development

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projects
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countries
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Alwe-Dry sind konservierte Biofilme. Jedes Bild ist ein  Unikat mit einzigartiger Optik 

Air pollution

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that life expectancy in Europe will be reduced by up to 3 years due to the inhalation of air pollutants such as particulate matter and nitrogen oxides. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry and the University Medical Center Mainz calculated that, on a global average, life expectancy worldwide will be reduced by a staggering 2.9 years, resulting in around 9 million premature deaths. And the trend is upward. This makes the consequences of air pollution even more serious than cardiovascular risk factors such as cigarette smoking (2.2 years).

We as a company would like to stop this trend. With our biological, self-sufficient air filter system made of microalgae, we have declared war on air pollution!