Isometric Outcomes specialises in bathroom dehumidification and heat recovery; the team is currently on the Better Futures Retrofit Accelerator. We spoke with its founder, Alain Alban, to learn about his motivations for working in the cleantech space and bringing this climate solution to the built environment sector.
“Those experiencing the worst of the global energy crisis are some of the most vulnerable and socially excluded members of society. Decarbonising UK buildings is a top priority with new regulations coming. However, increasing energy efficiency can often be a costly and disruptive process.” said Alain. “Our device has no prerequisite conditions for installation, does not require a ducting system, it is inclusive and accessible to a wider range of buildings that are currently excluded from the heat efficiency market. Our solution will enable a larger proportion of buildings to take up the option of straightforward, low-cost, high reward, energy efficient ventilation systems.”
User-centric design for long-term viability
It is important for the team that their device will not place any additional economic burden on the end-user. Their goal is to empower users to increase their heat efficiency, reduce their energy costs and carbon emissions. Keen to engage with end-user feedback in the next phase of development, they hope to place user-centric input in the final design iteration of the device. Isometric Outcomes believes this is the best way to ensure long-term impact and viability in the retrofitting market.
As per the Ellen McArthur Foundation, the circular economy is a system where materials never become waste and nature is regenerated. In a circular economy, products and materials are kept in circulation through processes like maintenance, reuse, refurbishment, remanufacture, recycling, and composting. The principles of circular economy have been at the core of Alain’s product design work throughout his career.
Solving pain points in energy efficiency
While working in bathroom ventilation, Alain noticed the energy waste and resulting carbon emissions from current systems. His goal was to alleviate the pains of the current systems with a multi-functional device that boosts energy efficiency, cuts carbon emissions and energy costs, and prevents mold. These goals have been achieved in designing Humidex.
As with any start-up, fundraising and the R&D (research and development) process have been challenging. “From a product development perspective, there have been technical challenges as we sought to balance safety with efficiency,” says Alain. “The product involves using water and electricity within the same device, and there have been many iterations of the design to ensure we can offer carbon and energy savings and comply with safety regulations and certification requirements. The next challenge is sourcing space pilot testing of the product to gain end-user feedback and testing of the device in operational and functional environments. This is the area we would be grateful to receive support with.”
The Isometric Outcomes team is a small but diverse company with broad expertise in the commercial ventilation sector. With a background in product design and aerospace engineering, Founder and Lead Design Engineer, Alain, has developed extensive knowledge of the UK building codes and adherence to regulatory requirements for bathroom ventilation systems, all of which have been incorporated in designing the company’s device.
Diverse problems need diverse innovations
“Representation of excluded communities helps with expanding education and knowledge of the benefits of products within the cleantech sector. Innovators from diverse backgrounds can offer different perspectives, experiences and cultural insights to offer solutions to problems experienced by their communities. A diverse team within the company demonstrates that the organisation values equity and inclusion, and this can help with building trust and loyalty among customers in new markets,” says Alain on the need for improved representation across startup portfolios in the retrofit sector.
As part of Cohort 6 of The Greenhouse, Alain’s team has evolved to improve their offer to the end-user. The Better Futures Retrofit Accelerator provides a new dimension to bring this solution to the retrofit sector. Eager to explore this opportunity, he reflected, “We have enjoyed working with the accelerator to date. The launch event was very useful for gaining different perspectives and networking with potential partners. We are keen to continue our growth and progress in the market and the support from the Better Futures Retrofit Accelerator Programme will be invaluable to us. We are keen to engage with all aspects of the programme, to help expand our skills and knowledge, and progress to the next phase of pilot testing the device.”
Alain realised that Isometric Outcomes may have wide-recognition for high potential driven towards positive impact and commercial success. However, the overarching feedback his team received has been on gaining sufficient validation and end-user data to propel their solution towards commercialisation. Hopeful for what’s in store, he commented on the potential to grow during the course of the programme, “With the help of Better Futures Retrofit Accelerator we hope we can complete this validation and offer a wider range of consumers access to a low cost, high efficiency, ventilation device.”
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Powered by Imperial College London, via Undaunted and Enterprise, the Better Futures Retrofit Accelerator is part of the Greater London Authority’s Better Futures programme, co-funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
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Undaunted is a partnership between Imperial’s Grantham Institute – Climate Change and the Environment and The Royal Institution.
