She is bringing efficiencies and data to take on a key carbon challenge.
One point eight every minute. That is the rate at which homes and businesses in Great Britain must be retrofitted to meet the country’s 2050 net-zero goals, according to the UK Green Building Council. Accounting for 17% of emissions, the UK’s commercial and residential real estate sectors lag far behind where they need to be in the fight against climate change. Lucy Lyons, CEO and co-founder of Kestrix Ltd., says it can be done.
“If we upgrade our energy systems and seal heat leaks, assuming the grids continue to decarbonize, this [17%] number can be zero,” she said.
The world doesn’t need some new unicorn technology to achieve the transition, Lyons says. The UK transition can be made with today’s technology. The key problem, she argues, is a lack of accurate data.
The energy performance of buildings in the UK is assessed by the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), a statistical tool that grades buildings on energy efficiency, estimated heating and cooling costs and Co2 emissions.
Assessments conducted through in-person visits by accredited surveyors are valid for ten years. Lyons says the EPC process is inefficient, outdated and flawed.
“The measure is designed to tell you how much it costs to run a house, not exactly what’s wrong with the fabric of the building,” she said. “They are often just inaccurate, because the person doing it maybe doesn’t want to check the loft or doesn’t want to go to the basement and see the heating system.”
Site visits are time consuming, often taking hours, or even days for larger properties. The resulting lack of clear and actionable data leaves building owners unable to create precise plans to reduce emissions.
The Google Maps of Heat Loss
Enter Kestrix. Skipping site visits, the company flies drones equipped with thermal cameras and artificial intelligence to evaluate building heat loss and develop retrofit plans.
This method, which Lyons calls the “Google Maps of heat loss,” allows Kestrix to analyze building energy efficiency far more precisely than EPCs. The company then analyzes that data and provides comprehensive upgrade recommendations. Kestrix has surveyed thousands of residential and commercial buildings, and has partnerships with several large public housing operators.
