Smart ventilation control system reduces energy bills

The system deploys technology to tackle the problem of houses built with low energy standards

Spotted: In the UK alone, tens of millions of homes have been built with poor energy standards. And this causes a number of problems. For the owners, cold draughts are accompanied by higher bills. Poorly-insulated homes retain less heat, and therefore require more time with the heating turned on. Traditional solutions to the problem of draughty houses have also come with a price. Energy efficiency measures can reduce ventilation leading to damp and mould, which is bad for health. More broadly, home heating remains largely reliant on fossil fuels, so additional heating contributes to the climate crisis.

Now, British company AirEx has come up with a solution. The startup’s smart ventilation system uses a range of sensors to measure temperature, humidity and air quality. This allows for automatic airflow regulation.

The AirEx system replaces traditional air bricks, with vents that open and close in response to local weather data and indoor air quality conditions measured by the sensors. The whole system is connected wirelessly to a central hub plugged into a standard home wi-fi router.

The system reduces draughts, and improves thermal efficiency so rooms warm up faster. Not only is this more comfortable, it also results in less time spent with the heating on, leading to lower energy bills. At the same time, the system’s flexibility means that it is better than existing measures in terms of indoor air quality, damp, and mould.

AirEx has also developed the Airoom, a smart vent specifically targeted at housing estates and high-rise blocks. It too provides a smart way to avoid cold draughts and higher energy bills on the one hand, and bad ventilation, damp and poor air quality on the other.

Insulation and home energy consumption are important and surprisingly contentious issues – as is shown by the headline-grabbing activities of Insulate Britain in the UK. Springwise has spotted several innovations aimed at reducing the energy consumed by homes. These include an air conditioner that lowers carbon footrpint, and a smart home power management system.

Written by: Matthew Hempstead