Airtight

Five per cent of global energy consumption is lost to air leaking from buildings. Airtight eliminates the waste. Global energy consumption has risen dramatically over the past couple of decades – especially in emerging markets. Buildings are responsible for about a third of all energy consumed in the world, with heating and cooling accounting for half of that consumption. With all the energy spent on heating and cooling buildings, however, as much as 25 per cent is wasted on air leakage. This equals an annual waste of USD 500 billion. Airtight has developed a solution for establishing a detailed “leakage signature” for individual buildings. The signature is a comprehensive analysis of energy waste. Taking the leakage signature as a starting point, Airtight uses real-time monitoring and machine learning to recommend adjustments to heating and cooling systems. This way, Airtight ensures that each centimetre of a building is fine-tuned to minimise energy waste. By pooling data from large numbers of both leaky and non-leaky buildings, Airtight is moreover able to generate in-depth insight to benefit all its customers. The Airtight system lowers energy bills, improves indoor air quality and increases the lifespan of a building. If Airtight were implemented in every building across the globe, the current annual waste of USD 500 billion would be halved. Additionally, energy use would be cut by 2.5 per cent and greenhouse gas emissions cut by 2 per cent. The International Energy Agency and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change identify building airtightness as one of the most cost-efficient ways to cut energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. In the EU alone, there is 25 billion square metres of air-conditioned building space that needs to be made airtight. Airtight is a Norwegian start-up based at StartupLab in Oslo. Its solution has been awarded the Seal of Excellence under the EU’s Horizon 2020 SME Instrument Phase 2.