Sealed buys sensor startup InfiSense to power energy-saving services

Sealed has built a business around predicting energy use and getting homeowners to move away from fossil fuels. So, naturally, the company’s first acquisition is a startup that tracks energy at a granular level.

Sealed did not disclose the terms of the deal, but said in a statement that bringing in Burlington, Vermont-based InfiSense would help it “reduce household energy waste.”

Manhattan-based Sealed finances and oversees electrification upgrades, such as replacing oil or gas heaters with electric heat pumps and insulation. Ridding homes of fossil fuels can lower energy bills, reduce household emissions and improve your health. You may have seen this topic in the news lately, as potential stove regulations are now the latest flashpoint in a culture war over clean energy.

At this point, InfiSense’s sensors and software monitor air quality in addition to energy consumption in buildings, and Sealed plans to share this type of air quality data with customers. downstream.

Sealed is unique in that it covers installation and weatherization costs up front. Instead, it charges a flat fee based on the energy its machine-learning algorithms predict homeowners will save over time. If Sealed underestimates a home’s energy use, it eats up the cost – hence the need to refine these predictions.

“The cornerstone of our business is our ability to predict people’s energy use over time, and that’s built on great access to data,” co-founder and CEO Lauren Salz said on a call with TechCrunch. . Currently, Sealed’s algorithms rely on monthly utility energy data, but bUsing InfiSense will give her “access to a deeper level of customer data,” Salz said.

Sealed plans to install InfiSense’s sensors in some of its customers’ homes, but Salz said he won’t need them. The data collected by Sealed will inform its forecasts and allow it to offer curious customers an up-close look at their energy consumption and air quality.