Some air purifying technology originally developed by NASA could eventually purify the air in buildings so much that it would drastically reduce the need to replace air, which in turn would result in big energy savings.

Martin Mittelmark, CEO of Phytofilter Technologies, explained that NASA was researching how plants purify air because of its interest in long-term habitat in outer space. The scientists found that carbon-eating microbes around a plant’s root system digest impurities in air. If they grew plants in porous soil and put an induction fan below the filter, they could get 100 times more polluted air down to the microbes.

Read more at Energy Manager Today.