There is a growing concern about the adverse health effects of pollutants such as particulate matter, nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide, ethylene oxide, and benzene. Exposure to these pollutants can exacerbate respiratory diseases—like asthma, allergies, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease—as well as heart conditions including angina, arrhythmia, heart attacks, heart failure, and hypertension. A recent rise in global temperatures and worsening climate conditions has prompted stricter measures to curb emissions, particularly greenhouse gases from human activity. In 2024, the Canadian government released its carbon emission statistics earlier than usual to closely monitor progress toward reducing emissions by 40–45% below 2005 levels by 2030. Achieving these ambitious goals requires robust tracking tools and methods—an area where London-based Limesoft is leading the way.

Founded in 2009 by Serge Bays, Limesoft is a CleanTech software company that designs and develops platforms for tracking, analyzing, and reporting air emissions from industrial facilities such as power plants, refineries, cement plants, steel mills, and waste incineration sites. Bays first conceived the idea while at Western University, working on a capstone project. “When I was searching for a project, I began exploring the ill effects of pollution on our quality of life. Pollution is one of society’s biggest challenges, causing many preventable illnesses and damaging ecosystems—especially in developing nations and Indigenous communities,” says Bays. He realized that effective emissions management must start with accurate measurement and tracking. This realization led to the birth of Limesoft, a small but powerful team catering to numerous Fortune 500 companies, including Shell, Exxon, BP, Saudi Aramco, Glencore Mining, LafargeHolcim, Heidelberg Materials, and many more.

While various Continuous Emissions Monitoring Systems (CEMS) data solutions are available worldwide, Limesoft distinguishes itself through its state-of-the-art software and innovative intellectual property. “We pride ourselves on the redundancy, reliability, accuracy, and flexibility of our software,” says Bays. One of the company’s flagship products is a robust data logger known as the Data Collection Unit (DCU), which integrates seamlessly with sensors and analyzers from leading manufacturers such as ABB, Siemens, and SICK. Traditionally, Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) handled many of these functions, but the DCU modernizes the process by combining instrument communication, data logging and buffering, and a Human Machine Interface (HMI). Limesoft’s software is installed on these sensors and analyzers within the manufacturing process, enabling real-time emissions monitoring and process optimization.

Another popular offering is LimeDAS, a data analytics, visualization, alarming, and reporting tool. Through LimeDAS, facilities can access detailed logs, spot trends, and generate regulatory compliance reports. The software also automates data backfilling and reporting processes, delivering timely air compliance emission reports to key stakeholders. “Rather than saving only select data to conserve storage, our technology allows companies to store all of their raw data long-term, helping them analyze patterns over extended periods,” Bays notes.

When building software for a global market, customization is often key. For Limesoft, achieving global adaptability was a multi-pronged effort. “Most countries base their environmental monitoring policies on North American and European regulations. Our software is designed to cover all aspects of these regulations. We also stay in contact with ministries of environment worldwide to track policy changes,” Bays explains. However, their biggest feedback mechanism is the one trick that never goes wrong when product testing – customer feedback. “I always want to hear from the customer, the person that will be using our system and generating reports. That’s the best way to get an answer of what to build and how to improve our software,” adds Bays. 
 
To enforce emissions reductions, governments across the globe have mandated Continuous Emissions Monitoring Systems (CEMS) requirements, including the Alberta CEMS Code, Canadian EPS 1/PG/7, US EPA 40 CFR Part 60, UK MCERTS, European BS 14181, and EN 17255. These complex regulations demand strict compliance. Although gas analysis techniques have advanced, the importance of effective data management is often underestimated—leading to potential underreporting of emissions and severe fines for non-compliant Data Acquisition Systems (DAS). Bays is actively involved in drafting and refining these regulations, lending his expertise as both an author and subject-matter expert.

Limesoft provides a comprehensive suite of tools that leverages the Internet of Things (IoT) to collect data from sensors and convert it into actionable insights, helping facilities avoid regulatory issues and reduce their environmental footprint. This real-time data enables industries and policymakers to identify pollution sources and develop effective emission-reduction strategies. Looking ahead, Limesoft is developing advanced machine learning models for emission predictions, effectively creating a “digital twin” of a facility’s emission profile. This allows companies to anticipate potential emission spikes and take preemptive steps to optimize production processes and reduce costs.

Despite Limesoft’s global reach—serving clients in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Australia, and emerging markets like Kazakhstan—there is still significant progress to be made in emission monitoring and control worldwide. The company plans to focus on enhancing carbon capture technology, improving predictive emissions modeling, and developing tools to better track carcinogens like ethylene oxide and benzene to protect communities.  

“For me, Limesoft’s role in the community goes beyond technological advancements. We’re committed to playing our part in the bigger picture: improving the global standard of living. That means scaling up clean energy, manufacturing, cement, chemicals, fertilizer—industries we rely on—while holding them accountable for their environmental impact,” Bays says. He is also passionate about tackling the challenges posed by AI infrastructure, particularly in power generation, cooling, carbon capture, and land use for clean energy. Bays hopes that Limesoft will offer sustainable solutions to support global innovation for years to come.

To know more about Limesoft, visit their website here. 

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