Buildings & Energy Efficiency
Challenge & Opportunity
Buildings account for a significant share of global energy use and carbon emissions, largely due to heating, cooling, lighting, and appliances. Most buildings standing today will still be in use decades from now, many of them inefficient and dependent on fossil fuels.
The opportunity lies in transforming buildings into clean, efficient, and intelligent systems. Through electrification, better design, and smart energy management, buildings can dramatically reduce emissions while improving comfort, health, and affordability. Energy efficiency is one of the fastest and most cost-effective climate solution available.
The challenge is scale, upgrading millions of homes, offices, and schools, and the opportunity is enormous.
High-Efficiency Heat Pumps
Heat pumps replace gas or oil furnaces by moving heat rather than generating it. They provide efficient heating and cooling using electricity and can cut building emissions by more than half when paired with clean power.
Smart Building Controls
Sensors, automation, and AI optimize heating, cooling, lighting, and ventilation in real time. Smart systems reduce energy waste while maintaining comfort and indoor air quality.
Building Electrification
Switching from fossil-fuel appliances to electric alternatives — induction stoves, electric water heaters, and heat pumps — is a key step toward zero-emission buildings.
Deep Energy Retrofits
Upgrades such as insulation, high-performance windows, and airtight construction significantly reduce energy demand. Efficiency improvements lower emissions regardless of energy source.
Together, these solutions turn buildings from passive energy consumers into active participants in a clean energy system.
Cutting Emissions Where We Live, Work, and Learn
Examples
Harvest Thermal
Uses smart heat pump systems combined with machine-learning controls and thermal storage to help homes electrify heating and hot water, reduce emissions by up to ~90%, cut energy costs, and optimize grid flexibility.
www.harvest-thermal.com
75F
Uses IoT sensors, AI-driven analytics, and cloud software to automate and optimize HVAC, lighting, and energy systems in commercial buildings, helping reduce energy use, cut emissions, improve indoor air quality, and lower operating costs across portfolios.
www.75f.io
AeroSeal
Develops advanced building-sealing technology that dramatically reduces air leakage in homes and commercial buildings. By sealing ductwork and building envelopes from the inside, AeroSeal improves energy efficiency, lowers heating and cooling demand, and reduces carbon emissions, often without major renovations.
www.aeroseal.com
Companies Making an Impact
Category
Climate Impact
Innovation Momentum
Scalability
Real-World Adoption
Buildings & Energy Efficiency
Climate Impact And Readiness Assessment (CIARA)
Score
8/10
8/10
9/10
8/10
Overall CIARA Score: 8.25 / 10
Building efficiency and electrification are among the most practical and immediate pathways to meaningful climate impact.
Why it Matters
Buildings represent a major source of emissions that can be reduced quickly and cost-effectively.
Technologies are mature, with steady innovation in controls, materials, and system integration.
Solutions can be deployed almost everywhere using existing supply chains and labor.
Adoption is growing rapidly, driven by cost savings, comfort, and policy incentives.