With the help of efficient technology, it is possible to make very profitable investments in energy efficiency. It is often possible to achieve savings of between 10-20%. In most cases, a number of technical interventions need to be done to improve a building automation system. Yet, in order to reach the goals for energy savings, it is at least as important that the energy engineer has a high level of competence and follows developments in digitization. Old control equipment for heating, ventilation, and cooling is often a contributing factor to unnecessary use of energy, says Göran Danling, Business Developer and process manager for Energy Services at Riksbyggen.
Sustainable energy investments
Riksbyggen’s business model is to help tenant owner associations to analyze their facilities, develop action packages and connect the local control system to Riksbyggen’s energy optimization service. The idea is then to save money year after year through continuous analysis and optimization.
The investment in AI and sustainable thermal management started a few years ago and aims to accelerate a digitalization journey where the technical platform for energy optimization is developed while the equipment used for the control of various functions in individual properties is standardized. A positive side effect is that the project also simplifies the work for the staff and saves time. Standardized pre-configured products simplify work processes and eliminate time-consuming programming. Riksbyggen chose to collaborate with the system integrator Novosystems, which was commissioned to develop a district heating substation that could easily be connected to Riksbyggen’s energy management services.
Efficient package solution for future-proof building management
For Riksbyggen, it was important to find a complete package solution that would be easy to understand both internally and for their customers, says Magnus Larsson, who works with sales s at Novosystems. At Novosystems we work with freely programmable systems on a daily basis. Yet, we also know, that programming not always is the most efficient solution - especially not when it comes to controlling relatively simple functions. In this case, we could see right away that most of the requirements set Riksbyggen's customers could be met in a time- and cost-efficient way.
In collaboration with Riksbyggen, Novo-systems developed an adaptable product solution that worked for almost all types of heating applications applied in the buildings managed by Riksbyggen today. The solution consisted of a simple but flexible heat controller from Regin, mounted on a heat exchanger. The heat controller Exigo is delivered pre-configured with the right applications and heating curves together with actuators and temperature sensors from Regin. For Riksbyggen’s technicians, it was easy to install and also maintain the new district heating plants.
As the heat controller provides several communication options, it is also possible to connect the heating systems to Riksbyggen’s central energy management system, where energy use is monitored and optimized based on parameters such as weather forecast, indoor temperature, the building’s design, and energy supply. Should the heating control needs of the buildings change as time goes by, the heating controller can easily be reconfigured to connect more sensors and activate functions such as room temperature -or power control.
The solution will be offered to thousands of properties
Today, Riksbyggen has installed the sustainable heating solution in several buildings, and the solution package will be offered to thousands of properties that Riksbyggen manages in Sweden. The new district heating plant increases the energy savings and thus also the value of the properties. The project is a long-term investment and is expected to last for many years. By standardizing the control systems in a majority of the properties, Riksbyggen increases the level of service and ensures that the operating staff always knows how to commission and optimize the installed heating solution in the best way. Thanks to Regin’s network of system integrators, a stable and long-term solution can be ensured.
