When Norrporten extended the Swedish National Courts Administration premises in Umeå, it also invested in a new energy solution for the entire property. A redesign provided the energy center with a soil layer for geothermal energy, and a new integrated heat pump reduced energy consumption.
“It was quite amusing when the local energy company had to come out here twice to install new district heating meters. They thought something must be wrong and they brooded a lot about the falling energy consumption,” reflects property manager Peter Frängsmyr from real estate company Norrporten in Umeå.
The energy logic was simple. Invest smart to reduce energy costs. The property company bore this in mind when they proposed the idea about a more long-term, economic energy solution to their tenant, the National Courts Administration. The premises, offices and courtrooms, are mainly used by the District Court. The facility demands high standards of process cooling, comfort cooling, heating and domestic hot water.
Like us, the National Court’s Administration values smart energy systems that help meet internal environmental objectives and promote a sustainable societyProperty Manager Peter Frängsmyr, Norrporten
Energy Machines was commissioned to conduct a pilot study and propose an alternative energy solution for the property’s heating, cooling and domestic hot water. District heating and cooling and a natural energy system, comprising an energy machine and underground storage (borehole storage), were considered.
“We had district heating and a refrigeration unit before. But we decided to remove the chiller and invest in a long-term natural energy system instead,” says Peter.
The result was the integrated heat pump solution Energy Machines, combined with an energy storage system comprising twenty boreholes. The machine can cope with all heat production down to around -15˚C, while the energy storage helps with natural cooling output. With the new solution from Energy Machines, energy consumption for the entire property is reduced from 125 kWh/sq m per year to 22.5 kWh/sq m, a 75% reduction.
The project was carried out and commissioned in 2011. Because of the positive experiences arising from the National Courts Administration project, Norrporten showed continued confidence in Energy Machines by asking them to take a closer look at energy solutions for the MVG mall in Umeå.
We installed an EnergyMachines™ integrated energy system at the mall, minimizing energy consumption, costs and environmental impact. Energy Machines' total concept means reliability.
“The most interesting thing about Energy Machines is their technological solutions. They sell a total concept, not just a product. And they don’t just provide a solution, they also make sure things get followed up, too. Most importantly of all, they remain active even after the work is inspected,” concludes Peter.
