Passive house with active energy management
The complexity of the energy-saving solutions could have resulted in a challenge for Jotron. However, the total system from Envo provides overview and control.
At just over 11,000 square metres, Jotron’s new headquarters in Larvik have become a landmark. From the outset, the technology company emphasised that the building, designed by Profoyn, would have a clear environmental profile.
A comprehensive energy concept was developed and all passive house requirements would be met. Some of the measures that have been adopted include a ground source installation with heat pumps, hybrid ventilation and solar energy from the 1,100 square metre solar array on the roof.
Together, the solar cells, ground source installation, electric boiler and ventilation units constitute a complex system in which the different energy sources cover different needs that overlap. One of the challenges was to tie everything together in a way that provides a complete overview. A smart system for energy monitoring and management was a prerequisite for achieving the high environmental ambitions. This was precisely why Envo’s solution was chosen.
“Using an external supplier such as Envo instead of buying energy monitoring solutions as part of the technical contracts has also been advantageous. An independent party has a much more impartial approach than a party that also supplies some of the technical installations.”
This is what Project Manager Lars Joachim Jacobsen from Format Eiendom has to say. The company has been responsible for project management on behalf of the client, Ringdalskogen Jotron AS, and also has an ownership stake.
One of the benefits of an overarching solution is that it is possible to take a holistic view of the building, across all subsystems and suppliers. With all data in one place, it becomes easier to extract analyses and correlate data. This leads to straightforward troubleshooting and makes it easier to identify opportunities for optimisation.
The reason why Envo was chosen was that Format Eiendom had positive experiences of Envo’s monitoring software from previous projects.
“The system is intuitive and easy to use and provides a real-time overview, while also making it easy to extract extended readings to view developments over time. Envo’s professional expertise is also remarkably high,” Jacobsen says.
Seamless coordination
Jotron is a world leader in the development of communication solutions for airports, ships and offshore installations. Production takes place in Lithuania and at the new headquarters in Larvik, where around 170 employees are based. The lower three floors house the warehouse, product assembly, test laboratory, offices and canteen, while parts of the third floor are rented out to other companies.
The largest advantage of Envo’s proprietary solution is that it collects and coordinates data from different systems. Standard components from most well-known building automation standards, fieldbuses and protocols can be integrated using a single product, Envo Edge Gateway. This makes the physical installation simple, which also makes it easier to get all of the systems to communicate.
Seamlessness is also key when it comes to optimising energy consumption. A single solution for energy, ventilation and indoor climate provides control of everything you need. The dashboard shows the various parameters, whether you want to look at the entire building, floors, individual rooms or individual components. If necessary, automatic features can be manually overridden with ease.
One of the energy-saving solutions is low-tech hybrid ventilation. During the summer, the building can be cooled at night using controlled windows that open to let the cooler night-time air in. High-temperature cooling uses the ground source wells for free cooling. This means that the ventilation units require less energy to keep the temperature down during the day.
Most of the functionality has been up and running since Jotron moved into the building in March 2020. But Jacobsen explains that work is under way to make further improvements.
“This primarily relates to how we can best utilise the solar array for ourselves, so that we can avoid exporting electricity during some periods. Currently, excess production from the solar array on the roof has to be sold via the grid.”
Avoiding substantial power peaks
The largest saving from Envo’s energy management system comes in the form of the 50 electric vehicle charging spaces available to Jotron employees.
“Without the savings, we would have experienced substantial power peaks between 8 am and 10 am every morning when everyone plugs their vehicles in at the same time. We save a lot of power by throttling the power supply and distributing consumption throughout the day,” Jacobsen explains.
He estimates that they have achieved an annual saving of around NOK 100,000 on the electricity bill from this simple move alone.
“There are no disadvantages associated with this shift. New ways to fine-tune electric vehicle charging could yield even better results.”
With access to 25,000 tags and complete management of all parameters, it is possible to manage energy consumption in the building down to the finest of details. Since the power peaks each month define the price level for electricity, it is important to identify these and consider measures to bring them down.
“The more dynamicly we can do this, the more there is to be gained”.
Envo estimates that installing the system in a building like this will pay for itself in two to three months. The price of the annual license is in addition to this. This will vary depending on the size of the building and how extensive the solution is.
Without putting a figure on the total savings, Jacobsen estimates that the energy costs are significantly lower with Envo’s system than they would have been without.
“We are in the process of starting work on a new office building in Tønsberg and even in the tender phase we already made sure to specify requirements for suppliers to make it easy to connect Envo. With access to open protocols from the outset, it’s even quicker to get everything up and running.”
Envo is the solution for:
- Building owners/designers: please contact Envo if you require a supplier of systems and services such as integration (ITB light), energy optimisation and operational monitoring.
- ITB managers in projects: please contact Envo if you require a supplier of a system for the practical integration and preparation of interfaces that can be used in various phases.
- Energy consultants: please contact Envo if you require a supplier of systems and services such as integration (ITB light).