Imagine a world where controlling warmth in your environment is as effortless as adjusting the lighting. This vision is now becoming a reality with the groundbreaking creation of Halia, an intelligent warming wall developed by a Finnish-based company. By harnessing the power of digital technology, Halia offers a remarkable solution to heating systems, providing near-instantaneous warmth.
Headquartered in Oulu, Warming Surfaces Company aims to revolutionize the heating industry by “digitalizing heating for the age of sustainability, reducing heating energy consumption, and minimizing material usage in heating systems.” Their product, Halia, is designed to meet the increasingly stringent zero-emission requirements of modern buildings, assisting in creating more environmentally friendly spaces.
At the core of Halia’s innovation lies radiant heat. By integrating low voltage “pixelated” warming elements into various interior surface materials, this cutting-edge technology allows for precise and real-time control of heating. Similar to adjusting lights, users can now enjoy the flexibility of warming specific areas only when and where they are needed, without wasting energy or heating unoccupied spaces.
This revolutionary heating strategy produces radiant warmth with low voltage in real time, ensuring enhanced well-being and comfort for building occupants while significantly reducing energy consumption.
Warming Surfaces Company has also collaborated with laminate manufacturers to seamlessly incorporate Halia warmers into surfaces, without compromising the properties of the original materials, such as flexibility, stretchability, and breathability. Remarkably, this system does not rely on plastics or bonding films, further promoting sustainability.
One of the key advantages of Halia lies in its flexibility and thinness, offering endless possibilities for creative warming elements in living and working spaces. The heating elements in this digital warming surface technology measure less than 0.1 millimeters in thickness, making it feasible to integrate them within building materials such as laminate floors, doors, walls, furniture, and even interior textiles.
The urgency for sustainable heating solutions becomes more evident when considering the projected increase in urban population. According to the United Nations’ Cities Report 2022, an estimated 200,000 individuals will move into cities daily by 2050. To accommodate this growth, buildings cannot be constructed as resource-intensively as they are today. Halia provides an affordable and sustainable option for providing warmth to everyone, with minimal energy and material consumption.
Recognizing the importance of reducing building energy use and carbon emissions, the European Parliament proposed policies in March 2023 to accelerate renovations. Currently, heating homes accounts for 63% of the energy used by EU households, and the building industry is responsible for nearly 40% of global CO2 emissions. To meet the energy efficiency targets by 2030, the EU will need to remodel approximately 35 million buildings.