ITRI's New Sustainable Technology Set to Bolster Industry

With global temperatures hitting record-highs in 2020, designing energy-efficient green technology, and implementing sustainable methods in the initial stages of product designs has become more vital than ever with the pandemic and global warming challenges.

Together with a dozen enterprises, Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) Green Energy and Environment Research Laboratory designed a 100%-made-in-Taiwan Magnetic Bearing Water Chiller, which improves energy efficiency. ITRI Material and Chemical Research Laboratories also rolled out a new design for solar panel modules for easier break-down for sustainability and better recyclable efficiency.

Water chillers make up 50% of power consumption in central AC systems. The ITRI-designed Magnetic Bearing Water Chiller maintains 10% more energy-efficient than global standard products. Six features make it stand-out among competitors: it does not require oil, designed with low noise, low vibrations, remote monitoring, light-weightiness, and smaller volume. Power efficiency would improve 30% to 40% with the new magnetic bearing water chiller.

Most core technologies to build a magnetic bearing water chillers are exclusive to European companies, said ITRI Green Energy and Environment Research Laboratory Director Wang Ren-chien. With the institution's latest design and collaborating with Taiwanese firms, it could open doors into the NTD$7 billion-market in Southeast Asia.

ITRI's new solar panel modules de-assembly technology uses weather-resistance and thermoplastic module materials and has obtained a patent. The new technology aims to extract high purity silver, silicon wafer, glass plates, and metals from waste in higher quantities once the technology is successfully commercialized. ITRI expects recycling efficiency to rise from NTD$600 million to NTD$1.2 billion.