Carbon-Neutral Building Patent Landscape 2026
Carbon-Neutral Building Patent Landscape in 2026
The carbon-neutral building patent space is an early-stage, fragmented field where no single applicant holds a commanding position, with Laken & Associates Inc leading on just 3 patent records out of 9 families in scope. Activity surged from 2022 onward, and the field is still expanding on a multi-year basis, though annual volume has eased from its 2022 peak and recent years are further understated by publication lag.
Laken & Associates Inc leads a highly fragmented field
Laken & Associates Inc ranks first with 3 patent records, followed by Harmon David L and McGill University each with 2 patent records — a structure that signals opportunity for new entrants rather than a locked-in incumbent advantage.
The top five filers collectively account for 64% of the hundred largest filers’ combined total, a moderate concentration figure that, in a corpus this small, still leaves significant room for challengers to establish meaningful positions quickly.
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LAKEN & ASSOC INC | 3 | |
| 2 | Harmon David L | 2 | |
| 3 | McGill University | 2 | |
| 4 | Rusher Karl David | 1 | |
| 5 | CABN Co Ltd | 1 | |
| 6 | B Anil Kumar | 1 | |
| 7 | Meesala Tripura Sai Lakshmayya | 1 | |
| 8 | I S Anvesh Reddy | 1 | |
| 9 | Manoj Kumar Pakki | 1 | |
| 10 | Arelac Inc | 1 |
The leaders’ positions suggest that no applicant has yet achieved the breadth or depth needed to define the field’s standards, making differentiated technology routes — particularly in building envelope materials and HVAC integration — potentially high-value entry points.
The most recent filing years are understated due to standard patent publication lag of 18–24 months; apparent inactivity in 2024–2026 should not be interpreted as a slowdown. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
A 2022 filing surge anchors multi-year growth; building structures and HVAC dominate the technology mix
The filing trend and technology composition charts together reveal a field that has grown substantially from a near-zero base, concentrated in two core IPC classes, with a long tail of adjacent branches that remain sparsely covered.
Annual filing trend
Filings were absent through 2018, with initial activity appearing in 2019, before a clear surge to 5 records in 2022. The three-year recent window sits 250% above the prior three-year window. Years from 2023 onward should be read as understated due to publication lag rather than as a plateau.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
E04B (Building structures & elements) and F24F (Air conditioning & ventilation) are the two dominant IPC classes, reflecting a field centered on low-carbon structural systems and climate-controlled enclosures. Twelve other IPC classes each appear only once, indicating that many technically adjacent areas — from solar collectors to separation processes — are sparsely patented relative to the core.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaHighly cited patent families surfaced by the query
Citation-heavy patent families returned by the query. Use this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents.
Building construction components and methods
A method for constructing a pre-fabricated component of a building, including: configuring a pre-fabricated component of a building based on energy infomied modelling; wherein the pre- fabricated component is able to be assembled with at least one other pre- fabricated component into the building at a final site for the building. A method for constructing a… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
Open this patent in Eureka →| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Co2-sequestering formed building materials | 117 |
| 2 | Predictive building air flow management for indoor… | 2 |
| 3 | Architectural Construction Technique | 2 |
| 4 | Building construction components and methods | 1 |
| 5 | Multi-sheet cladding | 1 |
Ranked by total forward citations. Citation counts favour older and broadly cited patent families, and broad or adjacent patents may appear when they match the search scope. Treat this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents. Some patent titles may be shown in their original, non-English language where an accurate translation could not be guaranteed.
What the competitive structure means for R&D investment decisions
The field’s early-growth stage, thin concentration, and absence of formal collaboration create an unusually open window for targeted IP positioning. The cards below translate each structural dimension into an actionable read.
Growth stage — expanding on a multi-year basis from a small base
The lifecycle is classified as Growth, with three-year recent filings running 250% above the prior three-year window. Annual volume peaked in 2022 and has since eased, though publication lag makes the post-2022 picture incomplete. This stage offers first-mover advantage in defining claim architectures before the field consolidates.
Growth · post-2022 peakModerate top-5 share masks an extremely shallow absolute depth
The top five filers hold 64% of the hundred largest filers’ combined total, but the corpus itself spans only 9 patent families. This means a single well-scoped filing program — covering structural systems, HVAC integration, and materials — could move an entrant to a leadership position within two to three years.
Fragmented · high-entry opportunityNo co-applicant relationships detected in available data
Evidence pending — no formal co-filing or joint-applicant relationships are recorded in the current corpus. The absence of consortia or cross-institutional filings suggests the field has not yet attracted the standards-body or industry-alliance activity common in more mature green-building domains. Early movers who form research partnerships may gain both technical breadth and citation leverage.
No consortia detectedUS-centric with early signals from Canada and India
The United States accounts for 6 patent records, Canada for 3, and India and WIPO (PCT) each for 1. The PCT filing signals at least one applicant is pursuing international protection, but the absence of European, Chinese, or Japanese filings in this corpus indicates that major construction markets outside North America remain uncontested at this stage.
US · Canada · India · PCTGo beyond the landscape: Eureka’s TRIZ Solution agent breaks down an R&D problem and returns patented concept solutions, each with a technical approach and cited patent & literature evidence.
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
Laken & Associates Inc on HVAC integration; McGill University on air quality and horticulture
The two leading entities approach carbon-neutral building from distinct technical angles — one through active climate-control systems, the other through air purification and biophilic integration — leaving structural and materials routes comparatively open.
Laken & Associates Inc
The corpus leader with 3 patent records, all filed as a new entrant in the recent window. Technology focus is tightly concentrated in F24F 11 and F24F 5 (air conditioning and ventilation control) alongside F24D 11 (domestic heating systems), indicating a systems-integration approach to building energy management rather than a structural-materials play.
patent records: 3McGill University
Tied for second with 2 patent records, also entering as a new entrant in the recent period. Coverage spans F24F 8 (air filtration and ventilation), A01G 9 (horticulture and forestry), and B01D 53 (gas separation and filtration), suggesting a research program linking indoor air quality, green infrastructure, and carbon capture — a broader but less commercially developed route than Laken’s HVAC focus.
patent records: 2| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| LAKEN & ASSOC INC | 3 | ▲ new entrant |
| McGill University | 2 | ▲ new entrant |
| Meesala Tripura Sai Lakshmayya | 1 | ▲ new entrant |
| Manoj Kumar Pakki | 1 | ▲ new entrant |
| I S Anvesh Reddy | 1 | ▲ new entrant |
| CABN Co Ltd | 1 | ▲ new entrant |
Under-served branches adjacent to the dominant structural and HVAC core
Several IPC classes appear at the periphery of the current corpus with only one or two records each; these observations are not validated commercial opportunities but indicate areas where technical coverage is currently thin relative to the core.
B01D · Separation processes (filtration and gas capture)
Only 1 patent record covers B01D (separation processes including gas filtration) in the current corpus, representing a 4% share. Carbon capture at the building level — using membrane or sorbent technologies integrated into HVAC exhaust streams — is technically adjacent to the dominant F24F claims and could extend existing system-level patents. The McGill University filing that touches B01D 53 suggests an academic research pathway that has not yet translated into broad industrial coverage.
Search this in Eureka →A01G · Horticulture and green infrastructure integration
A01G (horticulture and forestry) has 1 patent record in the corpus, a 4% share. Green roofs, living walls, and biophilic building skins are increasingly cited in net-zero building standards as passive carbon-offset and thermal-regulation mechanisms. Coverage here is sparse and concentrated in a single academic filer, leaving the intersection of structural engineering and horticultural integration essentially uncontested for industrial applicants with construction-scale expertise.
Search this in Eureka →How leading applicants differ by technology route
Strength of each leader across the main technology routes.
| Player | E04B 1 · Building structures & elements | F24F 11 · Air conditioning & ventilation | F24F 5 · Air conditioning & ventilation | E04B 5 · Building structures & elements | E04F 15 · Building finishing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harmon David L | Strong · 2 | Absent | Absent | Strong · 2 | Strong · 2 |
| Laken & Associates Inc | Absent | Strong · 3 | Strong · 3 | Absent | Absent |
| CABN Co Ltd | Strong · 1 | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| B Anil Kumar | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
Frequently asked questions
The current corpus covers 9 patent families in scope, spanning filings from 2019 through the most recent available year, with the United States as the lead jurisdiction.
Laken & Associates Inc leads with 3 patent records, all in the recent filing window, focused on air conditioning, ventilation control, and domestic heating systems. Harmon David L and McGill University each follow with 2 patent records.
The field is classified as Growth. Three-year recent filings are 250% above the prior three-year window, indicating multi-year expansion from a near-zero base. Annual volume peaked in 2022 and has eased since, partly due to standard publication lag in the most recent years.
E04B (Building structures & elements) and F24F (Air conditioning & ventilation) are the two most-represented IPC classes. Twelve additional classes each appear with only one record, reflecting a long tail of technically adjacent but sparsely covered areas.
The United States accounts for 6 patent records, Canada for 3, and India and WIPO (PCT) each for 1. The single PCT filing indicates at least one applicant has sought international coverage, but major construction markets in Europe, China, and Japan are not represented in the current corpus.
No formal co-applicant or joint-filing relationships are recorded in the available data. The absence of collaboration signals that the field has not yet attracted the industry consortia or academic-industry partnerships common in more mature net-zero building technology areas.
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Disclaimer. This page is generated from PatSnap Eureka data drawn from a limited snapshot of global patent and scientific-literature records, and is provided for general information and reference only.
Patent data carries inherent limitations: recent filings (typically the most recent 18–24 months) are under-counted due to standard publication lag; counts may be reported at either a patent-family or a patent-record basis and are not always directly comparable; classification, applicant-name, and citation data may contain errors, duplicates, or omissions; and the underlying search query defines and constrains the scope shown. As a result, the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
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