Air conditioning is practical, but it pollutes. What if a French solution changed things? Caeli Energie promises air conditioning that consumes five times less energy and is free of harmful gases.
The promise: air conditioning that consumes five times less energy, without polluting gases and 100% made in France. This is the crazy bet of Caeli Energie, a startup that could well revolutionize our scorching summers. While the air conditioning market is exploding in France (+24% turnover), this innovation comes at the right time.
It must be said that air conditioning, despite its undeniable comfort, is often criticized for its considerable environmental and health impact. It is extremely energy-intensive, which contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, and it also uses polluting refrigerant gases.
The principle of Caeli Energie
No more refrigerant gases and hideous external machines! Caeli Energie relies on a principle as old as time: cooling by evaporation. Their technology, called “adiabatic cooling,” is inspired by rudimentary systems observed in India and Iranian wind sensors. The idea? Capture the hot air, pass it over water to cool it naturally, and blow it into the room.
In concrete terms, the Caeli machine looks like a large oval 2.5 metres high, capable of cooling a room of 20 to 40 m². It promises a cooling power of 2 kW, with a coefficient of performance up to four times higher than conventional air conditioners. All while consuming the equivalent of a WiFi box!
While the idea sounds great on paper, it raises a few questions. The machine requires approximately 20 liters of water per day for an average user. In a context of increasing water stress, is this really sustainable? In addition, with a price oscillating between 2,500 and 3,000 euros (installation included), Caeli Energie is positioned slightly above the market. A price which could fall if the technology becomes more widely available, but which remains a barrier for the moment.
Caeli Energie promises an 80% reduction in carbon footprint compared to traditional air conditioners. An impressive figure, but which deserves to be verified by independent studies. The absence of refrigerant gases is undeniably a plus, as is the use of recyclable parts in manufacturing. The startup also highlights its 100% French production, on its Grenoble site.
With a second round of financing of 10 million euros completed in the fall of 2023, Caeli Energie seems to have the means to achieve its ambitions. The startup is initially targeting the public buildings market, before tackling the general public. It remains to be seen whether this technology will be able to convince beyond early adopters and convinced environmentalists.
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