Carbon capture, utilization and storage in buildings: Analysis of performance, social acceptance, policy measures, and the role of artificial intelligence

Abstract

Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) is emerging as a promising solution to mitigate global CO₂ emissions from the industrial and energy sectors. This review delves into the prospects of CCUS technologies for application in buildings, highlighting their benefits and challenges, and examining their economic and environmental impacts. A case study is also provided to shed light on the impact of integrating direct air capture (DAC) into buildings on their energy bills and indoor air quality. The study emphasizes that DAC is a promising carbon capture technology in buildings, with a levelized cost of CO₂ capture using DAC in the range of 56–2499 and 262–535 $/tCO₂ for solid- and liquid-based DAC, respectively. As for the utilization of CO₂ captured within buildings, microalgae cultivation and construction materials manufacturing are the most researched pathways. In contrast, transporting captured CO₂ is currently focused on the industrial sector, dictating the need for implementing cost-effective approaches for connecting urban areas to the planned industrial CO₂ transport infrastructure when CO₂ geological storage is targeted. Although the CO₂ transport and storage approaches remain technically feasible, solutions based on local handling of CO₂, such as microalgae cultivation, plants, or its use as a feedstock for the production of locally oriented products, offer more realistic strategies that demand further exploration. Finally, the social acceptance aspects, the effect of policy measures, and the role of artificial intelligence in enhancing the widespread adaptation of these strategies from conventional industrial decarbonization purposes to building contexts are explored and discussed.