Three sisters are hoping some technology and a sprinkling of fairy magic can transform the energy saving market.
Rechelle Davis, Nadine Griffin and Rhianne Griffin run Energy Fairies and say their Flutter Shutter product can help councils, housing associations and registered social landlords save energy and heat for their tenants and still look stylish.
The entrepreneurial sisters worked as qualified energy assessors and identified a problem with inadequate draft-proofing in the social housing sector.
Their product solves the issue with an advanced piece of transparent film, which insulates the window whilst letting light in.
“It locks air between two very thin sheets of a thermally capable polymer,” explains creative and operational director Rechelle , who will speak at our ‘Mind the Skills Gap’ at The Contact Company in Birkenhead on June 19th , in association with Progress to Excellence Group and Peel Ports Group
Davis, alongside finance and operational director Nadine Griffin and administrative and creative director Rhianne Griffin, are now looking to add solar technology to the blinds.
“We thought: if we’re going to save energy, why don’t we store it as well?” Davis continued. “We’re starting to incorporate state-of-the-art, white solar film into the shutter panels.”
Whilst the solar technology is still the research and development stage, Davis says that the technology could power an entire room or building such as a school or hospital.
“If you’ve got a south-facing window and you’ve got the shutters there, why not collect all of that sunlight?” she said.
The company’s blinds have been tested at Liverpool John Moores’ ‘Exemplar Houses’, a series of model homes built specifically to test energy saving techniques.
“In a concept test it was estimated that there was a 42 per cent energy saving with our blinds, and we’ve been estimated to reach over 60 per cent,” said Davis.
Low-emissivity glass, a similar existing energy saving solution, can save up to 66 per cent energy.
The company’s long-term goal is to expand to products across the home.
“Our whole ethos is to be more economical and more green,” said Davis. “What we want to do in the next five to 10 years is to build our own eco-home within the social housing sector.”
The company is also looking to expand into the US market.
“There are a couple of investors who are really keen on getting involved, so we’re excited about that,” she said.
“We want to expand globally, if we can, but we’d like to keep our suppliers UK-based.”