Anzen Innovations Ltd
Problem addressed
According to UK Cost of Living Insights, around 4 in 10 adults who pay energy bills find it very or somewhat difficult to afford them. Increasing the airtightness of buildings will reduce heat loss and increase energy efficiency, but this can have a detrimental impact on indoor air quality. Research conducted by Anzen Innovation, including over 100 interviews and surveys, revealed the struggles faced by residents, particularly during hot summers and cold winters. Opening windows is not always the best option as this allows allergens such as pollen and dust into residences while also making radiators less effective, resulting in a drop in heating efficiency and soaring bills. While an emphasis on airtightness and insulation in homes has reduced heat loss, it impairs indoor air quality and heating efficiency, as stale air heats more slowly and thus less efficiently than fresh air. Independent mechanical ventilation and heating systems are costly, space-intensive, and maintenance-heavy, making them unaffordable for 8 out of 10 homes, according to interviews carried out by Anzen Innovation.
Additionally, Anzen Innovation has found that material shortages, labour training, and time-consuming installations of mechanical ventilation systems and heat pumps typically delayed project completion. These systems are also complex, further hampering planning and labour training. Engaging with 17 construction professionals allowed Anzen Innovation to better understand the urgent need for a comprehensive solution to expedite construction processes and enhance indoor environments in new residential buildings.
Existing solutions like MVHR and heat pumps do reduce a buildings operational carbon, however they also require ducting and piping, and the associated embodied carbon can increase carbon payback periods (especially for MVHR).
Overview of start-up
Anzen is a smart ventilation and heating system designed to be integrated into walls to enhance indoor environment control. This 2-in-1 plug and play system reduces installation time and costs. Designed for new builds, Anzen balances heating and ventilation to increase thermal efficiency and maintain indoor comfort, reducing operational emissions of a healthy indoor environment. Their wall unit extracts stale indoor air and supplies fresh, purified, heated/cooled outdoor air through a proprietary self-cleaning which acts as both the purification and heating element. When the heating system is not operational, fans reverse to vacuum out any dust collected within the system meaning the ceramic media does not need to be removed and no filters must be washed or replaced. Sensors in the unit can monitor indoor air quality to determine the required ventilation while also considering heating and humidity levels. Their heating and purification system requires minimal maintenance, is scalable, and easy to install and operate. The ceramic filter has a life of before the filter must be removed and cleaned or deep treated, much longer than other air purification systems.
Anzen Innovation is currently working with partners to understand the most efficient insulation position to minimise U-value and is also carrying out a Life Cycle Assessment. Initial tests show significantly reduced operational and embodied carbon when compared to conventional HVAC systems, which is currently being third party verified.
One Anzen module can service between 10 and 20 square meters depending on the insulation levels of the building. Currently, Anzen is targeting studios and smaller builds where heat pumps with MVHR offer a lower ROI.
What makes the start-up innovative
Anzen’s key strength lies in their algorithm which seamlessly balances heating and ventilation for an optimal indoor environment. Their data monitoring optimises heating zones, preventing unnecessary heat wastage in unoccupied spaces. The ceramic media serves a dual purpose, aiding heat recovery and acting as the heating element, ensuring energy efficiency. The self-cleaning ceramic media also filters particles down to PM0.3, removing volatile organic compounds. Despite being part of the wall, the patentable outlet design effectively covers an area of 70m3 for heating and ventilation. Plug-and-play installation takes no more than a week for a 3-bedroom detached home, significantly reducing labour and planning costs compared to existing solutions which often take over a month to install.
How the start-up has been designed to scale up
Anzen’s market strategy revolves around strategic partnerships with two key service segments: residential builders/developers and prefab house builders/developers. In the residential sector, they have garnered interest from companies engaged in extensions and overall project commissioning. At the same time, Anzen works with partners like Natural Building Systems and Facit Homes to integrate their product into prefab wall systems. Their decentralised unit design accommodates various project scales which expands their customer base. Over the next year, Anzen plans to launch a retrofit unit catering to existing homes. Ongoing discussions with Islington Council aim to address the needs of affordable social housing, capitalising on the current surge in social home construction for scalability and enhanced product credibility. Anzen’s modular and adaptable design allows them to upgrade their system per changing climates and policy requirements.