What Carbon Numbers does

Carbon Numbers Limited is a UK-based building energy management firm founded in 2012 and headquartered in Elmstead Market, Essex. The company delivers end-to-end energy management services to organisations with complex multi-building estates — primarily universities, independent schools, financial institutions in the City of London, healthcare facilities and local government. Its core service is the Energy Performance Contract (EnPC), under which Carbon Numbers underwrites the capital cost of efficiency measures and guarantees verified savings over multi-year terms, removing upfront investment from the client. The firm supplements EnPCs with ongoing BEMS service and maintenance, remote bureau support, and turnkey commercial project delivery.

The technical core is the Carbon Compass platform, a cloud-based analytics layer that ingests BEMS, meter and utility data and provides drill-down from portfolio to individual meter, normalised benchmarks and degree-day analysis across a managed portfolio of 42 buildings and 318 meters. Carbon Command provides 24/7 cloud-based monitoring and BEMS servicing, and the Harry AI energy guide allows users to query energy data and draft compliance documents (SECR, ESOS, ISO 50001, EnPC, Net Zero) grounded in client documents and standards. The platform integrates with Trend Control Systems as the BEMS backbone. Five ISO certifications (9001, 14001, 27001, 45001, 50001) underpin the firm's positioning with institutional buyers.

Commercially, Carbon Numbers runs an enterprise field-sales motion targeting facilities and estates teams, with case-study-led credibility (documented annual client savings of £47K–£909K). Revenue is generated through EnPC project margins, managed-services retainers, bureau support hours and commercial-project fees. The firm is privately held and co-founded by CEO Neil Fright and Managing Director Caroline Fright; no external funding rounds, acquisitions or institutional investors are disclosed in the source material.

Name

Carbon Numbers

Legal name

Carbon Numbers Limited

Website

https://carbonnumbers.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Carbon Numbers Limited is a UK-based building energy management firm founded in 2012 that delivers Energy Performance Contracts, BEMS services, and its proprietary Carbon Compass analytics platform primarily to universities, schools, and City of London financial institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Building Energy Management Services

akta.pro primary industry

Emissions Factors, LCA & Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) Platforms (EUABAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Benchmarking, Ratings & Stakeholder Reporting Portals (Scorecards, Dashboards) (EUABAEAJ)

Keywords

• Energy management services
• Building energy monitoring
• BEMS service maintenance
• Energy performance contracting
• Building analytics platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Colchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Energy Performance Contracts (EnPC): Long-term contracts guaranteeing energy savings. Customers pay nothing upfront; costs are covered by guaranteed energy savings. Carbon Numbers assumes the capital risk while delivering measurable, verified energy reductions over multi-year terms (e.g., 5-year contracts mentioned).
2. BEMS Service & Maintenance: Ongoing service and maintenance of Building Energy Management Systems through fully trained engineers. Includes monitoring, alarm management, and support for reducing energy usage.
3. Bureau Support: Remote monitoring and support services including morning plant tours, evening shutdowns, and performance support during extended hours (7am-7pm).
4. Turnkey Commercial Projects: Design, delivery and management of full BEMS projects including energy evaluation, specification, installation oversight, and cloud-based commissioning.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Carbon Numbers provides end-to-end building energy management for organisations with complex building estates, combining BEMS service and maintenance, Energy Performance Contracts (EnPC) with guaranteed savings, and the proprietary Carbon Compass analytics platform with an embedded AI assistant called Harry. The offering is delivered across discrete service modules including energy management, optimisation, service and maintenance, Carbon Command 24/7 monitoring, and commercial turnkey BEMS project delivery.

Product overview

Carbon Numbers offers a unified energy management platform with Carbon Compass as the core analytics product, supported by six integrated service modules: Energy Management, Optimisation, Service & Maintenance, Carbon Command, Commercial Projects, and Energy Performance Contracts. Carbon Compass connects buildings, meters, and data into a single cloud platform with AI-powered analytics (Harry) and drill-down capabilities from portfolio to individual meter level. The services work together to deliver end-to-end energy management: connecting BEMS and meter data, understanding performance through analytics, and improving outcomes through optimization, maintenance, and guaranteed savings contracts. All services are backed by ISO 27001-compliant data handling and delivered by a team of engineers, analysts, and project managers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Carbon Compass: Bespoke energy-analytics platform that profiles energy data at individual meter level showing trends and real-time analytics. Features include drill-down from portfolio to client, building and meter levels, normalised benchmarks, degree-day analysis, and Harry the AI energy guide.
• Carbon Command

Products and services

• Carbon Compass Proprietary energy analytics platform with an embedded AI assistant called Harry, used to monitor and analyse building energy data, inform optimisation, and underpin managed services and Energy Performance Contracts for clients with complex building estates.
• Energy Performance Contracts (EnPC) Energy Performance Contracts in which Carbon Numbers finances and delivers energy reduction projects with no upfront capital outlay for the client, backed by guaranteed savings and IPMVP-verified measurement and verification.
• BEMS Service & Maintenance Specialist service and maintenance of Building Energy Management Systems, with deep expertise in Trend Control Systems installations, supporting clients across education, financial services, and other commercial sectors.
• Carbon Command 24/7 cloud-based monitoring service for building energy systems, providing continuous visibility and remote support for managed BEMS estates.
• Commercial Projects Turnkey BEMS installation projects for new and existing buildings, delivered from design through handover, including ongoing service and maintenance options.
• Energy Management Managed energy management service that combines consultancy, audits, and bureau-style support with the Carbon Compass analytics platform to optimise energy use across client estates.
• Optimisation Operational optimisation of building controls and BEMS to reduce energy consumption, delivered as a discrete service module typically combined with Energy Performance Contracts and Carbon Compass analytics.

Quantifiable outcome

• Daiwa Capital Markets Europe achieved over 50% energy reduction from original baseline over nearly 10-year partnership
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability7 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Innovate SuffolkminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 24 April 2026Carbon Numbers is a Silver Sponsor of the Innovate Suffolk GreenTech 48-hour Start-Up Hackathon 2026, taking place at the University of Suffolk. Partnership reflects commitment to supporting emerging talent and green innovation in the local region.
• Trend Control SystemscoreTechnology or IntegrationTrend Control Systems provides the building control technology backbone for Carbon Numbers' projects. Working alongside school estates teams and leveraging Trend technology, Carbon Numbers delivers structured, data-led approaches to energy management. Projects include Trend IQ vision integration and Trend Ex-Or lighting systems.
• SalixcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSalix provides government funding for energy efficiency improvements. Carbon Numbers supports clients with Salix Grant applications, enabling cashflow-positive projects from day one. QMUL Whitechapel Campus project and Blizard Building project both utilized Salix funding.
• CTS (Cooling & Heating Solutions)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCTS was awarded the installation project for QMUL Joseph Priestley Building heat plate exchange upgrade, working in partnership with Carbon Numbers over 12 weeks to deliver the solution.
• University of SuffolkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCarbon Numbers is working in partnership with the University of Suffolk to reduce energy use and lay groundwork for a smarter, more sustainable campus. Also hosting the Innovate Suffolk Hackathon at their facilities.
• IWFM (Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management)minorOthersCEO Neil Fright appointed Chair of IWFM East of England region, representing professionals across Bedfordshire, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire and Norfolk. IWFM is the professional body for workplace and facilities management.
• BCIA (Building Controls Industry Association)minorOthersMD Caroline Fright invited to judge BCIA Awards 2026 as the association marks its 35th anniversary, recognizing outstanding achievement in building controls and automation.
• Workplace Mental Health Charter UKminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCarbon Numbers uses the Workplace Mental Health Charter UK MHFA training programme for Mental Health First Aid training. Over one-third of Carbon Numbers team have completed this training.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Inenco Group: UK-based energy management consultancy serving commercial and public-sector estates with energy procurement, compliance (SECR/ESOS/CRC) and carbon reporting. Closest analogue to Carbon Numbers in target customer, geography and service mix.
• Inspired Energy: UK-based energy consultancy and energy management software provider (Inspired asset management platform) serving corporates across multiple sectors. Directly comparable in offering combined energy advisory, compliance and analytics.
• Econ Group: UK BEMS specialist providing energy management, building controls and energy performance contracts to commercial and public-sector buildings. Overlaps most directly with Carbon Numbers' BEMS, optimisation and EnPC service lines.
• Verco: UK energy and sustainability consultancy delivering energy management, carbon strategy and Net Zero advisory to corporates and real estate portfolios. Comparable in sustainability-led consulting and ESG-disclosure work.

Broad incumbents

• Schneider Electric (EcoStruxure): Global building energy management and automation vendor with EcoStruxure Building Operation platform. Overlaps Carbon Numbers' BEMS and analytics layer but at vastly larger scale and as part of a much broader portfolio.
• Honeywell Building Technologies: Owns Trend Control Systems — Carbon Numbers' technology partner — and offers competing Niagara-based BEMS and energy analytics. Highly relevant competitive threat in the same mid-market niche.
• Siemens Smart Infrastructure: Global smart buildings and automation player behind Desigo CC and Navigator. Competes with Carbon Numbers on BEMS, energy analytics and EnPC-style outcome-based services for enterprises.
• Trane Technologies: Global HVAC and building automation provider with Trane/BMS service offerings. Adjacent competitor for energy efficiency projects in commercial estates.
• Veolia UK (Energy & Building Solutions): UK energy and environmental services arm of Veolia offering energy efficiency, BEMS and Energy Performance Contracts to public and commercial estates. Overlaps in EnPC and efficiency-as-a-service delivery.

Others

• Carbon Trust: UK climate advisory and certification body helping organisations measure and reduce carbon emissions. Adjacent rather than direct — influences the same demand pool (SECR/ESOS, Net Zero) but does not deliver BEMS or EnPCs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/carbon-numbers-ltd
• Xx.com/carbonnumbers
• Facebookfacebook.com/carbonnumbers

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Carbon Numbers