Recent data shows significant progress in reducing Europe’s electricity-related environmental impact, particularly regarding CO2 emissions and renewable energy adoption. In 2024, the emissions intensity of electricity fell to 213 grams of CO2 per kilowatt hour (gCO2/kWh) — a 26% reduction over the previous five years.
Leading this transformation is Emissium, an EPFL spin-off that provides accurate, granular, and real-time data on electricity consumption’s environmental impact. The company has secured $91.7K in grants from Venture Kick, EIT Climate-KIC, and Fondation FIT, with its current valuation undisclosed.
Tech Funding News sat down with Rafael Castro-Amoedo, CEO and co-founder of Emissium, to discuss Europe’s energy grid future and their innovative solution.
Addressing the need for better data and insights on the environmental impact of electricity
Founded in April 2022 (and officially incorporated in June 2023) by Rafael Castro-Amoedo and Alessio Santecchia, Emissium emerged as a spin-off from EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) in Switzerland. Castro-Amoedo told TFN exclusively: “We founded the company because we noticed a lack of real-time data on the environmental impact and footprint of electricity consumption. This was the inspiration for starting Emissium.”
Emissium aims to accelerate the transition to sustainable living by decarbonising energy consumption. The founders envision a sustainable future powered by clean technology and renewable energy. “Our mission is to provide accurate, granular, and real-time data on electricity’s environmental impact to enable companies to make more informed decisions,” Castro-Amoedo explained.
The company tackles the critical challenge of providing detailed, localised electricity impact data. Its technology delivers regional-level insights every 50 minutes — more frequently than competitors — helping companies and households understand and address their true electricity-related carbon footprint.
While the company is only speeding up the market traction, the results are feasible – they have already saved 400 tons of CO2 emissions (which is comparable to planting 20,000 trees). In an exclusive interview with TFN, Castro-Amoedo revealed plans to raise between €1.5-2M by the end of March.
Emissium’s API: transforming CO2 reduction with granular electricity
With data centres projected to consume 8% of global energy by 2030 and many still dependent on fossil fuels, Emissium is setting new industry standards. Their real-time carbon intensity data, updated every 15 minutes, enables data centres to schedule operations during periods of the lowest carbon footprint and cost. Current use cases show data centres achieving yearly cost reductions of €50,000 through planned operations—a model applicable to any energy-intensive company, offering significant cost-saving potential.
Castro-Amoedo explained the data sources: “Emissium primarily uses public data sources, fetching data from various APIs. In pilot projects, we also integrate some company data, mainly from power companies—over 90% of our data comes from public sources.”
He added: “Emissium’s data is valuable for historical analysis, helping companies make strategic decisions like PPA purchases and capex investments. Real-time data is useful for high energy-intensive companies to adapt their operations based on electricity footprint. The extended forecasting helps with energy trading and management systems.”
Key features of Emissium’s API include real-time data access (providing electricity grid insights every 15 minutes from over 2,000 European locations), historical data access (offering valuable insights for strategic planning and accurate reporting), and seamless integration (designed with developers in mind, ensuring straightforward implementation and smooth onboarding).
The API launch demonstrates Emissium’s commitment to helping businesses navigate energy complexities. Through DeepTech expertise and advanced Machine Learning, they’re fostering a more sustainable energy future. Their machine learning models can forecast emissions profiles, potentially cutting electricity emissions by up to 50% compared to existing solutions.
Emissium’s models deliver regional-level data, surpassing competitors’ country-level offerings. Their 50-minute data processing intervals provide more frequent updates than competitors’ hourly data. “Our forecasting extends up to two weeks, compared to competitors’ 24-48 hour forecasts. This granular, real-time data is crucial for operational decisions, such as optimising data centre cooling systems,” Castro-Amoedo noted.
Long story short – Emissium enables power companies to track operational emissions and establish green tariffs, enhancing accountability and transparency. Their blockchain-based solution traces electricity impact at consumption points, facilitating effective grid decarbonisation projects.
A “massive deployment of decentralized renewable generation” is happening in Europe
As Rafael Castro-Amoedo puts it, “There is a ‘massive deployment of decentralized renewable generation’ happening in Europe. This shift toward smaller, distributed renewable energy sources rather than large centralised power plants marks a significant trend.”
Emissium’s technology addresses the crucial challenge of tracking and modelling these decentralised renewable sources. The company targets businesses “massifying their electrification” across sectors, from heating to transportation.
Emissium’s highly granular, real-time electricity impact data meets growing market demands. As decentralised renewables and increased electrification make energy grids more complex, companies need detailed data to optimise operations and decision-making.
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