AI, a lever for operational (93%) and economic (85%) performance for French managers. Regarding its potential contribution to environmental issues, the enthusiasm is less obvious.
79% of French bosses have identified the potential of AI to respond to these specific challenges. But taking advantage of it still requires effort. French greentech Accenta was able to convince despite this skepticism.
Take care of the highly polluting consumption record
The company founded in 2016 has raised funds of 108 million euros from its historic investors Eren Groupe (sold to TotalEnergies in July 2023) and Serena, and now also from the Siloé Infrastructures fund managed by Crédit Mutuel Impact.
The startup’s specialty is the decarbonization of heating and air conditioning in buildings. Why this target? Because thermal consumption alone represents “75% of CO2 emissions generated by buildings during the operating period.”
To achieve its ambitions, Accenta and its 150 employees design and market an energy infrastructure based on geostorage – thermal heating. The energy infrastructure is coupled with an artificial intelligence management system.
Thanks to its solutions (energy infrastructure, AI optimization and energy management services), greentech promises building operators (under renovation and construction) a reduction in consumption and carbon footprint by up to 80% and 95%.
Dynamic and predictive control by AI
“The decarbonization of buildings is a major issue, on which we must move more quickly. With energy costs now higher and more volatile, property owners are even more looking for solutions,” comments Benoît Herrmann, director of participations at Crédit Mutuel Impact.
Accenta uses artificial intelligence to offer “predictive regulation” of equipment and its use. More concretely, the use and therefore the consumption of energy adjusts according to different parameters, such as occupancy and the weather.
The dynamic management of systems is based on AI algorithms whose function is to determine “the best time and the best operating regime of your energy systems to consume less.”
The benefits of IT for Green
Accenta has deployed its solution to companies and communities such as AG2R, Eurovia, Fnac Darty, Icade, Prologis, Union Investment and the city of Roubaix. The startup claims to equip more than 8 million square meters.
In April during the DIMS/IT Paris 2023 conference, CNnum co-president Gilles Babinet emphasized the benefits of technologies for the environment. Real estate, transport, agriculture… he believed that digital technology, IT for Green, could improve the carbon footprint of all sectors, including construction.
“The average occupancy rate of an investment building is 23% (…) This is very worrying since construction is a very carbon-intensive activity. However, we see, particularly in the Scandinavian countries, that with the technology (…) we are able to increase this load rate and create multi-use buildings”, he illustrated.