Heating and cooling our homes and offices efficiently is crucial to reducing carbon emissions. Buildings contribute about a third of the carbon pollution in the United States, with much of it coming from climate control systems.
Bedrock Energy, co-founded by Jocelyn Lai, aims to tackle this issue by installing geothermal heating pumps to decarbonize climate control. While currently focusing on large commercial buildings, the technology could potentially be applied to any HVAC system.
Lai recently spoke on TechCrunch’s Found about Bedrock Energy’s mission to lower costs of this technology and combat the climate crisis.
Bedrock initially targeted real estate firms with net-zero goals as early customers, partnering with Con Ed in the Northeast to reduce power demand. By drilling up to 2,000 feet below the Earth’s surface, Bedrock accesses stable temperatures between 75 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. There are plans to extend services to residential customers in the future.
Lai launched Bedrock in 2020 to meet the growing demand for sustainability startups focused on decarbonization. She emphasized the scalability and efficiency of geothermal heating and cooling technology, highlighting the need to make it more accessible and affordable for building owners.
Fundraising for Bedrock has been successful, reflecting the ongoing interest in climate technology. Last October, the company secured an $8.5 million seed round, as reported by TechCrunch.
In a podcast interview, Lai shared insights from her experience as a first-time founder. She emphasized the importance of hiring top talent, investing in quality software, and building a strong engineering team. Transitioning employees from the oil and gas industry to the climate tech sector has proven beneficial for Bedrock, demonstrating how expertise from different industries can drive decarbonization efforts globally.
