Bonnierhuset, a 61-meter-high high-rise building in Stockholm, holds historical significance as the first concrete scraper built after World War II. Today, the iconic building is home to the largest geothermal energy installation in central Stockholm.
Client: Bonnier Fastigheter AB
Building: Bonnierhuset
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Sector: Office
Floor area: 51,000 m2
Project type: Turnkey BTES (Borehole Thermal Energy Storage)-based integrated energy system
Heating capacity: 1.3 MW
Cooling capacity: 1.5 MW
Heating delivery: 4,700 MWh/year; 92% of demand
Cooling delivery: 1,900 MWh/year of cooling; 100% of demand
Electricity consumption: 1,176 MWh/year
Annual reduction of CO₂e emissions: 82% (245 CO₂e/year to 45 CO₂e/year)
Annual reduction in purchased energy: 80% (124 kWh/m2 to 28 kWh/m2)
Additional environmental impact: Green electric-powered borehole drilling eliminated the burning of 90 m3 diesel
Bonnier Fastigheter AB has taken a significant step toward sustainability and environmental responsibility through a transformative green energy project at its headquarters, Bonnierhuset, a 51,000 sq m office complex in central Stockholm. With commissioning completed in November 2024, the iconic building is now home to central Stockholm's largest geothermal energy installation.
Previously, Bonnierhuset obtained all of its heating and cooling through district energy providers. Now, with its new integrated energy system by Energy Machines, the 75-year-old building obtains 92% of its heating and 100% of its cooling from renewable energy generated on site.
The integrated system has a capacity of 1.3 MW for heating and 1.5 MW for cooling, utilizing 27,670 meters of geothermal boreholes located beneath the building's basement car park to efficiently store energy. Thermal energy will be moved between the building and boreholes via four Energy Machines heat pumps, enabling heat and cold to be seasonally stored and reused throughout the year.
Uniquely, and for the first time in history, an electric-powered air compressor has been used to drill the required 86 boreholes. This new-to-the-market Atlas Copco air compressor provided by Team Wessman AB replaces traditional diesel-powered alternatives, significantly reducing noise and eliminating the burning of approximately 90m³ of diesel -- extending the environmental benefits of the system even further.
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"Our vision is to be a sustainable urban developer. At Bonnier Fastigheter, we are excited to embark on this project, which represents a green transformation of the Bonnierhuset. We firmly believe in value creation and sustainable energy solutions, and we find it truly remarkable to make this project environmentally friendly throughout the entire chain. This project is part of our decarbonization plan," said Mook Changrachang, Energy Strategist, Bonnier Fastigheter.
The integrated system delivers 4,700 MWh/year of heat and domestic hot water and 1,900 MWh/year of cooling. When operating at peak power (e.g., on the coldest day of the year), the system uses up to 294 kW of electricity. Its annual total electricity consumption amounts to 1,176 MWh. This results in a significant reduction of the building’s yearly CO2 emissions by more than 75%.
The Bonnierhuset project provides a tangible example of how implementing low-carbon energy technologies into the current building stock can make a real impact for the green transition.
“We're thrilled to extend our collaboration with Bonnier Fastigheter on another exciting project in one of Stockholm's landmark buildings. Bonnier Fastigheter's stringent sustainability standards and the project's unique technology attributes present a challenge align seamlessly with Energy Machines’ expertise in transforming buildings into energy machines that generate, store, and reuse their own energy. We look forward to adapting Bonnierhuset’s energy operations for a greener future,” said Karl Brag, former Stockholm Regional Manager, Energy Machines.
Digital twin simulations: EM Simulate
Design: EM Modular Design
Geothermal storage: BTES (borehole thermal energy storage) with 86 x 320m boreholes
Borehole location: Building car park, Floor 1
Heat pumps: 4 x Energy Machines EMA/EMB series with low GWP (global warming potential) <10 and ventilated enclosure
System controls: EM Control
SCADA platform: EM Cloud, accessible from the cloud
Turnkey energy system design, implementation, and operation: Energy Machines AB
Borehole drilling: Team Wessman AB
Air compressor: Atlas Copco
Piping: KE Rörinstallationer i Nyköping AB
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