Buildings waste enormous amounts of energy

Even in wealthy countries, most buildings are poorly insulated energy sieves. Heat escapes in winter, cool air leaks out in summer, and HVAC systems work overtime to compensate.

This happens because traditional building materials and construction methods prioritize low upfront costs over long-term performance. Old windows, thin walls, and gaps in the building envelope can waste 30-50% of heating and cooling energy.

Most buildings worldwide still burn gas, oil, or coal for heat, or use electricity from fossil fuel power plants for cooling. This creates direct emissions and locks in decades of future pollution.

Electrifying building heating and cooling is essential for decarbonization, but requires new technologies that work efficiently in different climates and building types.

Most existing buildings will still be standing in 2050, so retrofitting them is crucial for climate goals. But traditional retrofits are complex projects that can take months, cost tens of thousands of dollars, and require homeowners to navigate multiple contractors and financing options.

The retrofit industry needs to become faster, cheaper, and easier for building owners. This requires both technological innovation and new business models.

Many buildings operate like cars without dashboards — owners have little visibility into energy use and no way to optimize performance. HVAC systems run on simple timers, lights stay on in empty rooms, and equipment problems go unnoticed until they become expensive failures.

Smart building technologies can cut energy use by 10-30% through better monitoring and control, but most buildings still lack these systems.

Even today, most new buildings are designed to meet minimum code requirements rather than optimize for energy performance. Architects and engineers often lack tools to easily model energy use during design, and developers focus on minimizing upfront costs.

Building codes are slowly improving, but the design and construction industry needs better tools and incentives to create truly efficient buildings from the start.

About 3 billion people worldwide cook with wood, charcoal, kerosene, or other polluting fuels, often indoors without proper ventilation. This creates deadly indoor air pollution that kills millions annually, while also contributing to deforestation and climate change.

Providing clean cooking and water heating solutions for low-income households requires technologies that are affordable, culturally appropriate, and work reliably in challenging conditions.