Sideways News

Houses of Parliament CO2 emissions

Envision is a new infrared technology (IRT) set to take building companies by storm with its ability to accurately identify CO2 emissions. Sideways News spoke to Stewart Little, CEO of IRT Energy and recent presenter at the World Conference of Science Journalists, to learn why he thinks IRT could change our lives.

Small beginnings
Stewart and his brother Alan, along with Lemmings and Grand Theft Auto author Dave Jones, started the company in 2002 with a vision to test all buildings for CO2 emissions and help to save energy around the world. Based on our current energy prices, the technology could potentially save homeowners £2.2billion in total.

Stewart explains the innovative idea that is Envision: “IRT spots where CO2 is released. On average, 344km of CO2 is emitted from every home in the UK that does not have insulation. If 10 million UK homes were IRT tested, 65% would need insulation.”

Who benefits?
The tool will help those in building professions as well as energy consultants. In fact, IRT Energy has already gained a large client base including commercial buildings, schools, supermarkets, office blocks and Green Concierge, a company that goes into people’s homes to help owners discover where they can save energy. “We’ve even photographed the White House, Buckingham Palace, the Scottish Parliament building, the Reichstag in Berlin and the European Commission in Brussels.”

Who can use the technology?
Although currently only used on large commercial buildings or by conducting mass sweeps of homes, Stewart says that in the future it will be easy for homeowners to get involved: “If someone wanted their house evaluated now, it would cost around £700. In the future however, it is likely to be so popular that it may be that you will be able to buy a kit from B&Q."

On the up
IRT Energy has received support such as the £70,000 Smart Award from the Scottish Government. According to the Sullivan Report from the Scottish Building Standards, by 2030 Scotland could be carbon neutral in large part due to help from IRT Energy. The company has also just received a £100,000 RSA Award to create jobs in Dundee. 

What does the future hold?
In the future, the team hope to explore a project that they’ve been working on for 10 years. Dave Jones has been busy mapping the world in 3D, in a style similar to Google Earth but using real-time graphics instead of static images.

The tool makes it possible to test journeys, such as the school run, and gather details of how much energy and CO2 are used. With hopes of getting the device added as part of a programme such as Google Earth, Stewart wants to make this accessible for every homeowner.

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