What Clean Air as a Service Teaches Us About Better Buildings

What Clean Air as a Service Teaches Us About Better Buildings

We talk a lot about indoor air quality on this podcast—what it is, why it matters, and what to do about it.

But what if instead of buying bits of kit and hoping for the best, we could just buy a guaranteed outcome? That’s exactly what Aayush Jha and his company Clairco are doing. They’re delivering “Clean Air as a Service,” and that shift in mindset—from product to performance—is one the whole built environment can learn from.

I spoke to Aayush about what it takes to deliver clean air, not just in theory but in practice, and at scale, in some of the toughest environments in the world. India, for example, faces extreme outdoor pollution and aging building infrastructure. Yet Clairco promises indoor air that’s consistently 90% better than the outdoor baseline, and in some buildings, they hit WHO or WELL Building standards. How? Let’s break it down.

Why “As a Service” Changes Everything

Unlike selling equipment, an “as a service” model forces a company to stand behind an outcome. That’s a different mindset. It’s not about how good your product could be—it’s about whether you can deliver results day in, day out, no matter what.

Clairco installs and maintains its own sensors, filtration systems, and controls, but more importantly, it takes on the responsibility of delivering a consistent air quality level. That means it doesn’t matter what problems the building has or what filters are delayed in the supply chain—it’s on them to make it work.

This model demands accuracy, reliability, and total integration between sensors, HVAC systems, and software. And it means working incredibly closely with building owners and tenants, because performance depends as much on how the building is used as on the tech itself.

Three Big Lessons for the Rest of Us

Not every building can—or needs to—go down the full “as a service” route. But there are some powerful lessons here for anyone trying to improve indoor air quality.

1. Measure what matters

Aayush couldn’t have been clearer on this point: you can’t manage what you don’t measure. At a minimum, you need good quality data on CO₂, PM2.5, TVOCs, and differential pressure—ideally indoors and outdoors. With IoT-based monitors, this isn’t expensive or complicated anymore, and it’s the foundation of everything else.

2. Select the right filters for the job

Off-the-shelf HEPA filters might sound great, but in many buildings, they’re the wrong choice. You need filters that fit your HVAC system, don’t kill airflow, and match the specific pollutant mix in your environment. In Delhi, for example, PM2.5 is a big problem, but in industrial zones, it might be more about sulfur or nitrogen dioxide.

3. Ventilation still matters

Filtration helps, but without a consistent supply of fresh air, indoor air quality will eventually degrade. That’s where pressure balancing and smart ventilation controls come in. Clairco designs its systems to ensure a small but constant positive pressure, which reduces dust ingress and helps maintain better air quality.

Scaling the Model

For Clairco, the sweet spot is larger buildings—typically over 100,000 sq ft—where infrastructure is already in place. These buildings often have better HVAC systems, clearer operational responsibilities, and enough scale to make the business case stack up.

But Aayush also shared that about 25% of buildings they assess simply aren’t viable yet—often due to ownership structures, poor existing infrastructure, or lack of cooperation between developers and tenants. The key isn’t always technical—it’s human. And in buildings where the landlord is also the occupier, things move much faster.

Why the Future is Integrated

Under the hood, Clairco isn’t just a filter company. It’s a sensor company, a software company, a data analytics company—and a project manager. Their platform integrates all of it, using AI and machine learning to optimise air quality, energy use, and filter replacement, with full visibility for clients.

They also carry out annual third-party validation checks to ensure accuracy. And while low-cost sensors have improved a lot, Aayush believes there’s still value in keeping that sanity check—especially when you’re on the hook for outcomes.

Final Thoughts

Clean Air as a Service might still be a niche offering today, but it shows us where the industry is headed. For anyone managing buildings—even smaller ones—the takeaways are clear:

• Start with data. Measure indoor and outdoor air quality to understand your baseline.

• Choose filters that suit your system and your environment—not just the highest rating.

• Make sure fresh air is part of the mix, and understand how your building performs under different conditions.

As Ayush said, delivering clean air isn’t rocket science—but it does require discipline, accountability, and a relentless focus on outcomes. The good news? Whether you’re managing a single floor or 500,000 sq ft, those principles scale.

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