Associate Director Matt Challinor manages our Energy team here at CrimsonXT, and has a wealth of experience recruiting across the industry. Putting his industry expertise to use, he recently produced The Energy Brief – a bi-weekly news roundup, that explores the latest funding, collaborations, product updates and funding news from cutting-edge building automation, HVAC and cleantech companies across the US, Europe and APAC. In this blog, we’ll explore the latest news following on from the previous edition.

 

 

Welcome back to The Energy Brief! Firstly, a huge thank you to everyone who subscribed last month! As it stands today, I have 921 people subscribed to this newsletter over on LinkedIn, and I’ve had some great feedback from a number of individuals across the industry, so thank you.

Two weeks ago, I published my first article piece – an October roundup, and this edition will be a follow up of the latest updates throughout the rest of the month.

 

 

Over the last few weeks, there have been several key trends driving the smart building & cleantech sectors – cloud-based building management systems (BMS) are growing in popularity, offering scalability, flexibility, and advanced data analysis capabilities, while digital twin platforms are increasingly being used to optimize building performance. There is also a strong push toward retrofitting buildings for energy efficiency, in line with a “make do and mend” mentality to reduce carbon emissions in existing structures.

 

What does this mean for recruitment?

Companies are increasingly seeking AI and data experts, cloud and software developers, and sustainability specialists to design and manage advanced, efficient building systems. There’s also a growing demand for skilled technicians for retrofitting projects and sales professionals with expertise in sustainable technologies.

 

Where’s the data to show this?

According to LinkedIn Talent Insights, there are currently 12,538 professionals in the Renewable Energy and HVAC & Refrigeration industries across the US, Europe and APAC with skills in AI, cloud development, software development, and sustainability—a 51% increase from last year. The demand for hiring these professionals is marked as “very high,” indicating a competitive hiring environment.

 

So, what does this mean for your company?

To attract and retain top talent in these sectors, companies must adapt their recruitment strategies to stand out. With demand high and a 51% increase in professionals skilled in AI, cloud development, software, and sustainability, companies can stay ahead by emphasizing a strong mission-driven culture around sustainability and innovation. Offering clear career development paths, continuous upskilling opportunities, and flexibility, such as remote work or hybrid options, are essential to appealing to these professionals.

Competitive compensation packages that go beyond salary—considering wellness programs, stock options, and purpose-driven incentives—will also set your organization apart.

 

 

Spotlight on: PingCx

CEO – Saheel Chandrani

Ping Building Systems, Inc., the company behind PingCx, is revolutionizing the building automation industry with its autonomous commissioning software. PingCx automates the startup, point-to-point checkout, and commissioning of Building Automation Systems (BAS), enhancing efficiency and accuracy in building management. The company is on a mission to make meaningful contributions to energy efficiency in buildings by ensuring that systems are operating as intended. So far, their technology has been deployed in 25M sqft across North America, with plans to grow globally and through various channels to market in 2025.

In June this year, the team launched PingCx, a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution designed to transform lifecycle commissioning in smart buildings. This platform addresses challenges such as labor constraints and integration complexities by automating repetitive tasks and providing comprehensive audit histories of commissioning processes.

CEO Saheel Chandrani has over 20 years in regional and national leadership roles with companies like ABB, Honeywell, Johnson Controls, and Siemens. Head of Product, Jimmy Shek also contributes significant expertise in building automation.

 

smart home building

Collaborations and partnerships

E2E Energy Solutions Inc. , in partnership with Novus Earth Energy, has announced the signing of a Letter of Intent to jointly develop the Latitude 53 Hinton Inc. project. Located just outside of Hinton, Alberta, this initiative represents a major step forward in geothermal energy development.

U.S. and German governments are supporting two projects that have a mutual goal of developing a low-cost subsea energy storage technology that supports electrical grid decarbonization with funding of $7.7 million.

 

Tech, product and project updates

In a recent interview with Proactive‘s Stephen Gunnion, Executive Chairman Dr. Steve Kesler provided updates on CleanTech Lithium (AIM: CTL)‘s Laguna Verde Project. He highlighted an updated pre-feasibility study, designed to attract strategic investment, and discussed new developments including a configuration that splits the processing plant between Laguna Verde and Copiapó. This setup aims to tap into local technical expertise, making operations more efficient and setting the stage for future projects like Viento Andino. Kesler also addressed the project’s renewable energy potential, noting Laguna Verde’s prime location in a high-irradiance area ideal for solar power.

 

Funding

Starflow AS – Starflow is a hardware platform designed to optimize the flow of energy between solar panels. Starflow raised NOK20,000,000 / Pre Seed from Skyfall Ventures and 2 other investors.

Pacific Fusion – Pacific Fusion focuses on renewable energy generation, emphasizing affordable fusion power inspired by nature. Pacific Fusion raised $900,000,000 / Series A from Andrew Forrest and 15 other investors.

RedoxBlox – RedoxBlox develops thermochemical energy storage for decarbonizing industrial processes. RedoxBlox Awarded $25M to Build Industrial-Scale Tech.

Tau Group p – This company is focused on E-mobility, Sustainable Manufacturing, Advanced Materials, Cleantech, Electrification and Decarbonization. Tau Group raised €1,500,000 / Series B from Altana and 5 other investors.

Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Advanced Energy Manufacturing & Recycling Grants Program, the California company Mainspring Energy has received $87 million from the US Department of Energy to support domestic manufacturing of “innovative, fuel-flexible, power generators.” The state-of-the-art manufacturing facility is expected to create more than 600 “skilled jobs” in the Pittsburgh region where it’s being located. It is going to be 300,000 square feet in size. Governor Shapiro is providing a boost from the state, too, another $8.6 million.

The future

In this insightful article, IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol highlights how energy, industry, and trade policies are becoming increasingly interconnected as countries define their roles in the new energy economy. The rapid growth of clean energy technology brings both opportunities and challenges for governments in shaping industrial and trade policies, according to a new IEA report. This first-of-its-kind analysis explores the global cleantech market, focusing on six key technologies: solar PV, wind turbines, electric cars, batteries, electrolysers, and heat pumps. The report projects that the global market for these technologies could grow from $700 billion in 2023 to over $2 trillion by 2035—approaching the scale of today’s crude oil market.

 

 

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