Maria Sotberg

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Get to grips with energy management. On our blog, you will find energy optimization and management content suitable for novices and energy experts. Find blog posts, use cases and videos on energy analysis, energy optimization, and reporting, just as relevant for commercial buildings, public works and industrial buildings as for housing cooperatives or multi-residential properties.

Energy Management

<p>Did you know <a href="https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/energy-efficiency/energy-efficient-buildings/energy-performance-buildings-directive_en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">buildings are responsible for nearly 40% of the world's energy consumption</a>? This shows there's huge room for improvement. In 2023, we partnered with <a href="https://www.ericsson.com/en/cases/2024/kiona-and-ericsson" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ericsson</a>, which delivers telecommunications equipment and high-speed connectivity to, among other things, our sensors, to gather some real-life data on this.</p>



<p>The goal was to show how technology makes buildings smarter, greener, and more sustainable.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-when-proptech-and-technology-meets-sustainability">When Proptech and technology meets sustainability</h2>



<p>At its core, this project combines Ericsson's expertise and ours. Ericsson provides the 5G-powered infrastructure that makes reliable data transmission possible, while <a href="https://kiona.com/products/edge" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Edge, our software for energy management</a>, <strong>uses AI</strong> <strong>to fine-tune how energy is used</strong> in buildings.</p>





<p>Why does this matter? Traditional ways to improve energy efficiency, like adding insulation or triple-pane windows, are often expensive and time-consuming.</p>



<p>"By using tools like Kiona's AI-driven energy management system, property owners like <a href="https://kiona.com/story/blog/success-for-victoriahems-environmental-goals">Victoriahem</a> and <a href="https://kiona.com/story/blog/the-city-of-jyvaskyla-carbon-neutral-by-2030">JVA</a> can address inefficiencies more effectively." Jasmin Masic, Sustainability Manager<strong> </strong>at Ericsson, who worked closely with us on this project, says.</p>





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<p>"This is the exact type of technology and case study that Ericsson wants to showcase, to demonstrate how industries and society can work together to cut carbon emissions."</p>





<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-idea-to-impact">From idea to impact</h2>



<p>Every idea starts somewhere, and while Ericsson wanted to research how connectivity can drive sustainable change – we saw this as the perfect opportunity to show what our energy management technology can achieve in the real world.</p>



<p>In this case, the AI control function in Edge incorporates a mix of data and smart algorithms that continuously improve the energy optimization of individual buildings, with a primary focus on the control of heating systems.</p>





<p><strong>On average, the project resulted in 7% net energy saved and millions of kilowatt-hours.</strong></p>



<p>“What surprised us is the ability for scaling. When we did the study there were around 350 buildings involved, last we checked this number was over 7,000. This underscores the real potential of digitalization, not just in theory, but at a massive scale." Jasmin continues.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-the-data-tells-us">What the data tells us</h2>



<p>The key takeaway from this project is clear: we already have the tools to make a difference. What's needed now is the resolve and collective action to scale these solutions globally.</p>



<p>"If we act fast to cut emissions and ramp up carbon removal, we still have a shot at counteracting the effects of surpassing the 1.5°C threshold. But timing is critical." Jasmin emphasizes and sums it all up;</p>



<p>"We all live on this planet, and we all need to pitch in. Whether it's an individual effort or big industry changes, it all adds up."</p>



<p>For us at Kiona, the next steps are to continue providing tools that make it easier for property owners and building managers to optimize their energy use. We're also focused on spreading the word, working on case studies like this to encourage others to adopt similar technologies and practices.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://cta-eu1.hubspot.com/web-interactives/public/v1/track/click?encryptedPayload=AVxigLI9IzfC%2BhE1qxaHt7EaBB1Gx0WzFP%2FqqGXpa2oiEovuF2KuSxNcj%2BsQ6B2MKga6jJBuRMDaLLuMnFhj7ZSxB%2ByAU2arc4nI0rRwGeB95AsIXIyM99x%2Fn2FcTONGPhLD84UhIz%2FwbgsFVo6b%2Fq05FBy34HytJaKznAWP07XlaZAFl5h141rWAI9GHmF7MPIkDyHGY9y7pr8dIY1BsA%3D%3D&amp;portalId=8805657"><img src="https://kiona.com/app/uploads/2025/03/image006-1024x436.png" alt="" class="wp-image-61210"/></a></figure>



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<p><em>About Ericsson: </em></p>



<p><em>Ericsson is committed to achieving Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions across its value chain by 2040. This commitment involves reducing emissions in its own operations and supply chain and supporting its customers in minimizing their carbon footprints through energy-efficient products and solutions. As part of this effort, Ericsson has set science-based targets to halve its carbon emissions by 2030, in alignment with the 1.5°C ambition outlined in the Paris Agreement.</em></p>

Sustainability that works: what we learned from 7,000 buildings

Daniel Wibowo

Learn about Energinet

Want to hear more about our Energy Management System?

<p>Energy management has become a key focus for small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs). With new laws and regulations like energy audits, <a href="https://www.kieback-peter.com/en/news/interview-71-a-geg-building-automation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">GEG § 71a</a>, and <a href="https://climate-laws.org/document/energy-efficiency-act-enefg_d64e" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">EnEfG</a> (The Energy Efficiency Act), companies are now required to take action. The ongoing shifts in energy and heating supply make it even more important for them to assess their energy usage and consider adopting an Energy Management System (EMS).</p>



<p><a href="https://www.stadtwerke-kiel.de/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stadtwerke Kiel</a> identified this need a decade ago and introduced the 24/7 energy cockpit to support its customers. This makes energy consumption transparent for companies and is the first and most important step towards energy efficiency and savings.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-stadtwerke-kiel-on-the-lookout-for-new-services">Stadtwerke Kiel on the lookout for new services</h2>





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<p>When it came to selecting an energy management system, <strong>a key priority was for the provider to handle hosting internally</strong>. Compliance with data protection and security laws is standard practice for any German company. But as Stadtwerke Kiel highlights, "a good feeling is also needed." This made data storage outside the EU, such as in the USA or UK, an unacceptable option. Instead, hosting in Norway was the clear choice. Not only did it meet privacy regulations, but it also fit with northern Germany's historic ties to Scandinavia. This decision was made possible through Energinet's white-label solution.&nbsp;</p>



<p>"Other requirements," says Arne Wegeleben, "were simple and easy-to-understand operation of the system for practitioners and the possibility of a gradual introduction at the customer's premises. With these requirements in mind, the decision was made in 2014 in favor of <a href="https://kiona.com/products/energinet" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kiona's Energy Management Software, Energinet.</a>"&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-step-by-step-into-energy-management">Step by step into energy management</h2>



<p>The 24/7 energy cockpit allows customers to start with the first step, the main meter reading data, and then delve deeper into energy management. To begin with, it helps companies check the plausibility of their electricity, gas, heat or other media bills.</p>



<p>"Companies need to look at their energy consumption; in the future, the legal regulations will – to put it bluntly – affect everyone who has more than one employee," emphasizes Arne Wegeleben.</p>



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<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><strong>How do you proceed with a new customer?</strong></li>
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<p>"The realization that everything is as it should be or as expected is also an important insight that can be gained from the evaluations in the energy cockpit," says Arne Wegeleben.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Energy management makes the development of consumption visible and comparable. This makes it easy to compare energy bills and find errors. In order to achieve savings or uncover errors, it is important that someone on site feels responsible for the issue. This person can evaluate the data and look for appropriate solutions or take or suggest measures to reduce consumption.</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><strong>How do customers use the 24/7 energy cockpit to detect unnecessarily high electricity consumption?</strong></li>
</ul>





<p>One of the special features of Stadtwerke Kiel AG's energy management system is the monthly reports, which are compiled individually for customers. In accordance with the EMAS specifications, this also includes individual key figures that can be determined specifically for each company. Be it the energy consumption per euro of sales, the number of overnight stays, care places or theater visitors.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Stadtwerke Kiel AG also uses these reports internally for its own plants and buildings. Understanding their own energy usage and load profiles allows them, for example, to properly size photovoltaic systems to match their needs.</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><strong>How does understanding energy consumption and load profiles help plan a Photovoltaic System?&nbsp;</strong></li>
</ul>



<p>"We help our customers design PV systems based on their actual energy usage patterns to maximize self-consumption. Many systems are oversized, which leads to surplus electricity being fed back into the grid. However, the compensation offered by grid operators or direct marketers for this extra electricity is no longer a profitable option." says Arne Wegeleben.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Another feature of the 24/7 energy cockpit is its <strong>ability to</strong> <strong>track decentrally generated energy</strong>. Typically, PV systems only measure the electricity sent back to the grid for billing purposes. With the cockpit, the total energy generated is also recorded, making it possible to calculate a property's degree of self-sufficiency alongside its actual energy needs. This gives customers a clear understanding of how independent they are from the public power grid.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Stadtwerke Kiel's 24/7 energy cockpit is therefore <strong>an easy way for businesses to get started with an EMS</strong>. Of course, you don't have to be an energy customer of Stadtwerke Kiel AG.&nbsp;</p>





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24/7 energy cockpit, the energy monitoring system of Stadtwerke Kiel – based on Energinet

Joacim Hindersson

<p>Jyväskylä Rental Apartments (JVA) is fully owned by <a href="https://www.jyvaskyla.fi/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the City of Jyväskylä</a>. With around 7,000 apartments, they provide homes for about 11,700 residents. The city aims to be a zero-emission, zero-waste, and zero-overconsumption city of sustainable well-being in 2040 and carbon neutral in 2030.</p>



<p>"We want to save energy and reduce carbon emissions as part of this program. As a large part of our buildings are district-heated and the heat is produced by the city-owned Alva companies, we are subject to a significant part of the emission reduction targets for district heating," says Jaakko Vuori, real estate support engineer at JVA.&nbsp;</p>



<p>To reach these targets, they continuously monitor the energy consumption at their properties. The biggest challenge in reducing emissions, according to Vuori, is that energy use is essential. Energy consumption in buildings accounts for about 40 percent of emissions in Finland.</p>



<p>"The challenge is how to cut emissions and what kind of projects to undertake. The technology to reduce energy use is evolving at a rapid pace, so we need to think carefully about which energy-saving measures are worth investing in. It is not always worth jumping in without a thorough assessment," says Vuori.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-assisted-by-self-learning-artificial-intelligence">Assisted by self-learning artificial intelligence</h2>





<p>One way to achieve energy saving targets is through <a href="https://kiona.com/fi/tuotteet/edge" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Edge</a>. Today, around 150 of their buildings are connected to the system. Edge works to improve the energy efficiency of buildings by monitoring and optimizing the temperatures in the apartments.</p>



<p>"Some of these sites only have temperature monitoring, but most have a system that also controls energy consumption," Vuori shares.</p>



<p>Edge is an important tool in JVA's daily work and for deciding on future investments. The system is used all year round but in slightly different ways depending on the time of year.</p>



<p>"During the summer, we design and tender energy-saving projects. When considering where and what renovations to commission, <strong>the decisions are based on the accurate energy consumption monitoring data from Edge</strong>," Vuori says and continues:</p>





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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-energy-consumption-is-on-a-downward-trend">Energy consumption is on a downward trend</h2>



<p>According to JVA's calculations, energy consumption has been on a downward trend for a long time. The 2023 Sustainability Report shows that specific energy consumption <em>(Specific consumption is monitored on a property-by-property basis)</em> has decreased by 10% compared to 2016. In 2023, carbon dioxide emissions from energy consumption amounted to 6 249 tCO₂.</p>



<p>In the coming years, JVA will continue to take several measures to reduce energy consumption. One possibility is to expand the use of systems such as Edge.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-edge-is-proven-by-the-itu-t-l-1480-standard-to-have-a-positive-a-positive-net-second-order-effect-reducing-ghg-emissions">Edge is proven by the ITU- T L.1480 standard to have a positive a positive net second order effect, reducing GHG emissions</h2>



<p>JVA's buildings are some of those who were included in <a href="https://cta-eu1.hubspot.com/web-interactives/public/v1/track/click?encryptedPayload=AVxigLKadg0hNREAXbiPSA4t5pzdTUXOzrNWOcEd%2F6uBBMkfpvimALD2TsHQRJ1POQsfnOhfCo33EaJNIqtw9WajDBXGjbFmgu1IFJCGgkWcAM1bg668wHsWC5iRoq2IxarWubqD1aq%2FE897Yhv%2BenyMfk8S64r8v5vAPb5%2BJH9BtH2DfCiYl1czoKq%2FNzLB4CR%2F%2FSLH7OVFxgeNv3mJIQ%3D%3D&amp;portalId=8805657" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">our joint study with Ericsson and The Carbon Trust</a>, to measure just how effective implementing Edge can be. The reports highlights the critical role that technology and data-driven solutions play in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and is why JVA among others, also continue using the solution.</p>





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<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-report">Report</h4>




<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-saving-energy-and-decarbonizing-residential-homes">Saving energy and decarbonizing residential homes</h2>



<p>In a collaborative effort, Ericsson and Kiona worked to show how connectivity and AI can enable significant savings for 356 residential apartment buildings, with a total space of 1.5 million m2 in Sweden and Finland. The analysis was conducted by The Carbon Trust.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>This study was performed using the ITU- T L.1480 standard and is one of the first to do so. The ITU-T L. 1480 provides a methodology for assessing how the use of information and communication technology (ICT) solutions impacts greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of other sectors.&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong>By combining the power of connectivity and Edge AI, a net total of 17 GWh of consumed energy was saved (for 2022) – avoiding over 1 kTonne of CO₂ emissions.</strong> </p>



<div class="wp-block-buttons">
<div class="wp-block-button is-style-outline"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="https://cta-eu1.hubspot.com/web-interactives/public/v1/track/click?encryptedPayload=AVxigLKadg0hNREAXbiPSA4t5pzdTUXOzrNWOcEd%2F6uBBMkfpvimALD2TsHQRJ1POQsfnOhfCo33EaJNIqtw9WajDBXGjbFmgu1IFJCGgkWcAM1bg668wHsWC5iRoq2IxarWubqD1aq%2FE897Yhv%2BenyMfk8S64r8v5vAPb5%2BJH9BtH2DfCiYl1czoKq%2FNzLB4CR%2F%2FSLH7OVFxgeNv3mJIQ%3D%3D&amp;portalId=8805657" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read the full research report and results</a></div>
</div>

The buildings behind the data – the city of Jyväskylä

<p><a href="https://www.victoriahem.se/om-oss/hallbart-fastighetsagande/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Victoriahem</a> owns properties from Trelleborg in the south to Uppsala in the north, most built in the 1960s and 70s. They are usually properties with development potential that they see as an opportunity to improve.</p>



<p>"Many buildings also have high energy consumption, which means that we see great potential to reduce energy use," says Dan Mårtensson, Head of Property Development at Victoriahem.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-on-track-with-energy-targets-and-sustainability-goals">On track with energy targets and sustainability goals</h2>





<p>Since 2015, the company has used digital tools (<a href="https://kiona.com/products/edge" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Edge</a>) to control heating in its property portfolio. This has improved energy efficiency, and the tool helps the company achieve its sustainability goals.</p>



<p>The company is on track with its current targets and compares well with its real estate peers. An update and clarification of the targets is currently underway to continue the work on reducing CO₂ emissions, among other things.</p>



<p>"One of our current targets is to reduce the amount of purchased energy for building operations by 30% by 2030 (from 2015 levels). At the end of 2024, we were at a reduction of around 26%. We are also working to reduce water consumption and are making good progress towards our targets there, too," says Dan Mårtensson.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-eu-targets-for-building-management">New EU targets for building management</h2>



<p>One of the challenges in sustainability work is to focus correctly and make important choices based on financial limitations. The new requirements in EU directives, such as <a href="https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/energy-efficiency/energy-efficient-buildings/energy-performance-buildings-directive_en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD)</a>, mean that you must be able to prioritize correctly and analyze how far to invest in energy efficiency improvements.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>&nbsp;"We will have to wait and see what the final EPBD requirements will be, but we will be faced with decisions to invest to reach the nearest requirements in 2030 and 2035 or even make larger investments to reach the 2050 requirements directly."&nbsp;</p>



<p>EU directives and taxonomy also influence the sustainability strategy.</p>





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<p>Meeting the upcoming EU directives is challenging, partly because of interpreting the directives and because of ensuring that you have relevant and reliable data to report. When it comes to energy use, Victoriahem has good follow-up via the technical building systems they use.</p>



<p>"We are working on collecting data for several areas of CSRD reporting. Collecting and validating data takes time, but it is necessary as the demands for transparency in reporting increase."</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-proven-solution">A proven solution</h2>



<p>In a new report produced by the independent organization <a href="https://www.carbontrust.com/en-eu/what-we-do" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Carbon Trust</a> and the telecom company <a href="https://www.ericsson.com/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ericsson</a>, the actual effects of using AI to control energy use have been analyzed. Parts of Victoriahem's portfolio are included in the data.</p>





<p>According to the report entitled <a href="https://cta-eu1.hubspot.com/web-interactives/public/v1/track/click?encryptedPayload=AVxigLKadg0hNREAXbiPSA4t5pzdTUXOzrNWOcEd%2F6uBBMkfpvimALD2TsHQRJ1POQsfnOhfCo33EaJNIqtw9WajDBXGjbFmgu1IFJCGgkWcAM1bg668wHsWC5iRoq2IxarWubqD1aq%2FE897Yhv%2BenyMfk8S64r8v5vAPb5%2BJH9BtH2DfCiYl1czoKq%2FNzLB4CR%2F%2FSLH7OVFxgeNv3mJIQ%3D%3D&amp;portalId=8805657" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Case Study on the Avoided Emissions from a Building Heating Management System Using an AI Steering Function</a>, the AI steering function has a net positive effect, reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The study shows that <strong>average energy consumption is reduced by 7%, and CO2 emissions are reduced by 6%</strong> compared to the reference scenario.</p>



<p>"Seeing concrete results that confirm the impact of our investments and tools is very positive. This serves as proof that we are taking the right approach. Additionally, it confirms that our efforts in building energy optimization are leading to real improvements," says Dan Mårtensson with satisfaction.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://kiona.com/app/uploads/2025/02/inline_blog_image_700_x_400_x2.webp" alt="Victoriahem sustainability goals" class="wp-image-60391"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Image: Some of Victoriahems buildings</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-digitization-vs-physical-presence">Digitization vs. physical presence</h2>



<p>Much of the work managers have to deal with today is technology-related. Digitization and AI make the work easier, but the challenge still lies in correctly prioritizing a complex everyday life with many balls in the air, according to Dan Mårtensson.</p>



<p>He emphasizes that it will be even more critical in the future to weigh digitization against physical presence.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>"Managers will need to manage digital systems while setting the right priorities. They must also be able to build trust with tenants and work closely with them. The manager's role involves high commitment and responsibility to strike this balance."</p>



<p>His role as a real estate development manager means he needs to consider business investments that increase revenue and reduce costs while ensuring the company takes care of the maintenance and long-term improvements of their buildings.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>"Reports, such as the one we have now received where The Carbon Trust, as an independent actor, has looked at data from our buildings, are important to confirm that we are on the right track and to be able to set new goals. It is also a good way to make our work visible internally and externally. We have made great progress, but there is still potential to get even better in energy optimization and our overall property development work," concludes Dan Mårtensson.</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-energy-optimization-saving-energy-and-decarbonizing-residential-homes">Energy optimization: Saving energy and decarbonizing residential homes</h2>



<p><em>Ericsson has produced a report together with the Carbon Trust, in which a case study demonstrates the impact of our Edge service and its Artificial Intelligence (AI) control function on energy consumption for heating buildings.</em></p>



<p></p>

Success for Victoriahem's environmental goals – now proven in an independent report

Martin Eksberg

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Karlatornet

Karlatornet is a truly impressive building that shows what modern technology and property management can achieve together – not least with the help of solutions like Web Port.

Build your knowledge in building management. On our blog, you will find content on building management suitable for newcomers and tech-savvy partners. Find blog posts, use cases and videos on everything from technical systems integration, HMI and SCADA solutions, alarm monitoring, zone control, lighting, heating, ventilation and air quality. Just as relevant for commercial buildings, public works and industrial buildings as for housing cooperatives or multi-residential properties.

Building Management

<p><strong>Karlatornet, located in Gothenburg, is the tallest building in the Nordic region, standing at an impressive 246 meters. As part of the Karlastaden district, this 74-story skyscraper combines residential, commercial, and hotel spaces in a modern, high-rise environment.</strong></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-project-overview">Project overview</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.karlatornet.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Karlatornet</a> features an HVAC system with zoned control, ensuring energy-efficient heating and cooling. A district heating and cooling system is integrated to reduce the carbon footprint.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>The control of the HVAC system is managed through <a href="https://kiona.com/products/web-port">our SCADA system Web Port</a>. Web Port enables real-time monitoring, connection of technical systems and products, and continuous analysis of energy use, troubleshooting and optimization. The system collects data from sensors that track temperature, air quality, and energy consumption throughout the building.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-smart-and-efficient-climate-control">Smart and efficient climate control</h2>



<p>The system can automatically adjust ventilation flows, heat pumps, and chillers to ensure optimal climate conditions with minimal energy consumption.</p>



<p>Thanks to a centralized control panel and cloud service, building operators have even greater flexibility. Whether on-site or remote, they can monitor and manage the system, ensuring quick reactions to problems and improving overall reliability.</p>



<p>Web Port is also designed to grow with future needs. It supports integration with third-party systems, products, or platforms, providing a scalable solution as new technologies or requirements emerge.</p>

Karlatornet – Scandinavia's highest building

Talk to an energy expert!

Want to test IWMACs Smart Guard?

<p>When we say loads, we think of energy consumers such as ventilation systems, heat pumps – or anything else that uses electricity. <strong>If you haven't installed a load control solution, you probably use more energy than necessary.&nbsp;</strong>&nbsp;</p>



<p>Traditional peak control solutions monitor the maximum power in buildings. If you're using unnecessarily high levels of energy, the system shuts down loads such as lighting, street heating and other heat sources. However, it can be drastic to cut the loads completely when you only need to reduce the power slightly, spread over several loads.</p>



<p>We integrate the components you want to control into <a href="https://kiona.com/products/iwmac" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IWMAC</a>, and the load controller monitors the building's total energy consumption. If it exceeds the limits you set, the consumption of all these loads is restricted.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-better-load-control-lower-energy-bills">Better load control, lower energy bills</h2>



<p><a href="https://kiona.com/products/smart-guard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IWMAC's Smart Guard</a> is set up based on consumption from previous years. A thorough analysis is carried out in advance, so that the system knows where there is the most to be gained. </p>



<p>You can easily <strong>set different monthly limits</strong> based on the expected maximum output. For example, it would be natural to set higher heating limits in January than in August. In this case, it's an advantage to have a history of energy consumption from the previous year as a starting point.</p>



<p>The Smart Guard <strong>monitors hourly consumption minute by minute</strong>. If something should skyrocket, it starts to reduce by a certain percentage. The system automatically knows how much it "has to go on" and reduces consumption to stay below the current hour's limits. This is a more forward-looking system.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://kiona.com/app/uploads/2024/11/smart-guard-700x500-1.png" alt="" class="wp-image-57492"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Illustration: Our Smart Guard makes sure you stay within the thresholds.</em></figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-avoid-costly-tariffs">Avoid costly tariffs</h2>



<p>Using a lot of electricity, even for a short while, can be costly. Power consumption can fluctuate from day to day, and with grid rent or power charges (sometimes even based on the hourly average effect), one hour of high consumption can mean a lot of money. With our Smart Guard, you can ensure you don't get any unpleasant surprises.</p>



<p>When the smart peak load guard is integrated into a SCADA system, the disconnection signal can be picked up in subcenters and <strong>distributed over larger parts of the system</strong>, reducing power consumption throughout the building.</p>



<p>This system can also be integrated with Yr.no. This means that the ventilation system can be controlled much more intelligently. But perhaps particularly effective is <a href="https://kiona.com/products/forecast-based-control" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">forecast management for snowmelt systems</a>:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>We collect measured temperature data and precipitation forecasts for the area in question. You can save a lot of electricity by leaving the snow melting system switched off when no snow is forecasted. And if snow is coming, we can start a slow preheating process. Then, you avoid the big power peaks.</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-an-independent-third-party">An independent third-party</h2>



<p>With IWMAC, you are free to choose the suppliers you want, whether it's for automation, ventilation, or energy meters.</p>



<p><a href="https://kiona.com/products" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Kiona platform</a> is flexible and can integrate all technical systems<strong> </strong>across brands, suppliers, and ages. That way, you can easily give older components a solid functional boost.</p>

Smart Guard – far smarter than the traditional peak load guard

Learn more about Energinet

We relish telling stories from our partners. True experiences shared by experts about how they use Kiona products to boost their business and that of their customers. Check out stories from our partner network.

Partner

<p>"To meet the climate goals, we need to get the existing building stock to deliver the best indoor climate by using as little energy as possible. We need to automate technical systems to a much greater extent, and operating personnel must have good tools to help them monitor that everything is working," says Kjell Petter Småge, CEO of <a href="https://www.evotek.no/">the consulting firm EvoTek</a>.</p>



<p>EvoTek provides technical consulting services on the client side and uses <a href="https://kiona.com/products/energinet/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Energinet</a> as an analysis tool. Energinet's most important function is giving operating personnel a quick and easy overview of whether everything is working. EvoTek has also been involved in developing the software over the past 20 years.</p>





<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-data-quality-is-high-on-the-agenda">Data quality is high on the agenda</h2>



<p>Optimization and sustainability reporting are high on the agendas of customers and property owners, and to succeed, you need the right data.</p>



<p>Magnus Østbye, Senior Advisor at EvoTek, knows all about data quality assurance. With 10 years of experience, he knows what it takes to get a successful project. He explains that EvoTek has a customer portfolio of approx. 15 million square meters, and through Energinet, customers monitor around 23,000 active metering points. The consulting customers include office buildings, schools, industry, shops, and shopping centers – where they are by far the largest.</p>



<p>"We are a unique company that specializes in advising clients on technical and environmental issues throughout the life cycle of the building. Everything from identifying the best solutions in the sketch/pre-project phase, following up through the construction phase and trial operation, and assisting the operating personnel throughout the building's operating phase. We need to have the facts on the table. To do that, we completely depend on a high level of expertise and a good system like Energinet," says Østbye.</p>





<p>"There is still a lot of manual handling of data and PDFs out there. We're working on collecting good data so that you can process it further, make calculations, and apply factors that make it usable. So having quality data flowing in has everything to do with success," he continues.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-reality-check-of-the-digital-and-physical">The reality check of the digital and physical</h2>



<p>Østbye explains that he solves 80-90% of the work himself with the help of one report. This shows the breadth and flexibility of the program. With a platform where everything is gathered, it's only where you need to work – and that's where you'll find all the information you need quickly and efficiently.</p>



<p>But you still have to physically go and review the building.</p>



<p>"The fact that everyone at Evotek is out in the field with the customer and sees the practical side of the building is at least as important as the data you see online. You need to know some technical facts about cabinets and panels and whether what you want to measure is actually consumption worth measuring. Then we systemize the data to get something useful out of it," he says.</p>



<p>Local operations staff receive daily and weekly reports with consumption figures to check that forecasts are being followed, look for deviations, and follow up on alarms.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://kiona.com/app/uploads/2024/10/Energinet-water-vol-spectral-analyses-1-1024x563.png" alt="Energinet, EMS system" class="wp-image-57176"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Image: The navigation tree in Energinet gives you a quick overview of the status of your buildings and portfolio.</em></figcaption></figure>



<p>"In our experience, there is a lot of focus on colors and layout in the market, which is important to get an attractive system with good design. But it's of little value if the data in the system isn't of good enough quality, and this is where Energinet stands out as a proven and solid system.</p>



<p>"The biggest advantage lies in the transparency with which the system is structured. Users must be able to find information, logical expressions and recognize the data path from top to bottom. The system must be so user-friendly that if you want to learn, you should be able to become great at it. Of course, as consultants, we can help you there too."</p>



<p>General Manager, Kjell Petter Småge, agrees;</p>



<p>"We have highly qualified employees who focus on both HVAC technical systems and the technical-builder role. We help structure the system so that the operator gets the detailed information needed to do his job well. At the same time, those who want overall trends and the red and black numbers will also find what they are looking for," he concludes.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-practical-advice-and-technical-support-when-the-customer-gets-good-results-we-really-shine">Practical advice and technical support - "When the customer gets good results, we really shine."</h2>



<p>Senior Advisor Magnus Østbye further explains that it's a job well done when customers get better results.&nbsp;</p>





<p>He explains that many people may just choose a system based on price or that it was something they stumbled upon in a search without mapping their success factors. What is it that you need to improve? And are you getting the numbers you actually need?&nbsp;</p>



<p>"We use our customers' systems, but if we're going to be a reseller and support a system, it has to be the best. Many of our customers have ongoing framework agreements, and there is a reason why they stay. It's because the quality of the delivery has been good and because Kiona follows the market over time," says Østbye.&nbsp;</p>



<p>"Together with Kiona, we're constantly taking the temperature of what we think is coming, what we need to work on, and what is happening in the market. We work together to further develop software and determine how we meet new requirements and wishes. We want to be forward-thinking and continue to challenge ourselves."&nbsp;</p>



<p>"The combination of <strong>leading system and leading knowledge </strong>is clearly something that benefits our customers," he concludes.</p>

From data to action – EvoTek uses Energinet to meet reporting requirements

Love all things proptech? Get ahead on building automation with Kiona. On our blog, you will find content on automation suitable for newcomers and tech-savvy partners. Find blog posts, use cases and videos on everything from systems automation, machine learning and AI to Smart functions, Rest API, drivers and IoT for use in technical installations.

Building Automation

<p>Andreas Skälegård is an energy strategist at <a href="https://www.uddevallahem.se/">Uddevallahem</a> and a key person behind the real estate company's focus on energy efficiency with technology from several suppliers. More standardized and accessible products have contributed to Uddevallahem's daring leap to build its own ecosystem of products, systems, and platforms that all talk to each other – for <a href="https://kiona.com/products">open, flexible, and independent building automation</a> and energy management.</p>



<p>One factor making this all possible is open APIs and protocols and the ease with which different systems and platforms have been integrated.</p>





<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-project-shaped-by-industry-challenges">A project shaped by industry challenges</h2>



<p>Uddevallahem and Kiona have collaborated for several years through our delivery of <a href="https://kiona.com/products/edge">Edge</a>. The collaboration has been proactive, and various challenges related to building operations have been discussed and analyzed.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>One such challenge that emerged in 2023 was the decision by telecom operators on <a href="https://kiona.com/story/blog/update-to-lte-4g-2g-and-3g-networks-will-shut-down">the future decommissioning of 2G/3G networks</a>.</p>



<p>"We realized that we would need to invest in quite a lot of new hardware to protect our investment and ensure continued optimized operation even after the future shutdown. That's when the idea and ambition to find a software solution was born instead, with open APIs between the different platforms as an important cornerstone," says Andreas.</p>



<p>"This was in mid-2023, and we started the work sometime after that with Kiona and the other companies involved, who really got into the idea. Two milestones were set for the project, where milestone one meant we would have a couple of pilots integrated, tested, and operational before midsummer 2024. The final goal was to have all of Uddevallahem's buildings (already controlled by Kiona via the Edge Hub hardware) operational and ready before the end of September 2024, and we will succeed in that."</p>





<p>"It should be easy to integrate your system with functions from several suppliers. Since the pieces exchange data streams, we can change the address of the data flow and let it go to other suppliers and functions. <strong>Avoiding the lock-in effect gives us the security to dare to invest.</strong>"</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-importance-of-open-apis">The importance of open APIs</h2>



<p>Technical installations and buildings require close monitoring and a clear overview to keep energy costs down and ensure smooth operation. To make this possible, systems and platforms need to be open and integrable to create opportunities for end customers with different needs and existing systems and suppliers.</p>



<p>Andreas Skälegård explains that the prerequisites for creating this type of ecosystem are that basically everything is based on code and data streams. A few years ago, various gateways, converters, collection units, and other hardware were required to be installed. This was both time-consuming and difficult to manage. Thanks to MQTT, we can run the data traffic cloud-to-cloud, and cloud-&gt;Uddevallahem's IT environment-&gt;cloud again. With code and data streams, you can scale up much easier and faster.</p>



<p>"All the puzzle pieces described above have been developed by different companies at different paces. They are industrialized and commercially available to all customers. <strong>What is "new" is that all the pieces have been put together into a system that works together and delivers better efficiency than the pieces individually.</strong> We've built our own ecosystem of independent pieces and got the most efficient control algorithms where everything is enabled by open APIs."</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-so-what-advice-does-he-have-for-other-property-owners-who-want-to-connect-automate-and-digitize">So, what advice does he have for other property owners who want to connect, automate, and digitize?</h3>

"With open APIs and standard solutions, you avoid lock-in-effects – which creates security"

<p>As a "small" public housing company with around 4,700 apartments, it can feel difficult to dare to invest in AI and digital solutions. Andreas Skälegård is an energy strategist at <a href="https://www.uddevallahem.se/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Uddevallahem</a> and a key person in the fact that the real estate company has nevertheless invested in energy efficiency with modern technology.</p>



<p>"In this context, Uddevallahem is a small property owner with little staff and no financial resources for development. We must rely on the commercial players' pre-developed services. For example, we can take advantage of Kiona's technology development, which has been going on for almost 20 years and whose development is passed on to all their customers, not just us," he says.</p>



<p>Much has happened in recent years regarding more standardized and accessible products, which has contributed to Uddevallahem now daring to build its own ecosystem of open platforms for building automation and energy management.</p>





<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-pieces-of-the-system">The pieces of the system</h2>



<p>Uddevallahem has previously used <a href="https://kiona.com/products/edge">Edge</a> to control heating in their buildings with AI, so we were used to working together. The ecosystem they now have built consists of, in simple terms, a number of pieces of a puzzle. Key pieces are Schneider's SCADA platform EcoStruxure, which is connected to modern controllers/PLCs and temperature sensors in the apartments. Temperature is measured with either wired M-Bus or the wireless and unlicensed standard technology LoRaWan.</p>





<p><a href="https://lora-alliance.org/about-lorawan/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LoRaWan</a> has the advantage of being a radio standard with very good coverage. Uddevalla has four antennas covering the urban area and receives measurement data, even from "windowless basement rooms, according to Andreas Skälegård.</p>



<p>Uddevallahem's system architecture includes Schneider EcoStruxure, a SCADA platform that Edge, in this case, integrates with via an MQTT Broker. EcoStruxure subscribes to all updates made in Kiona MQTT and continuously pushes out changes to each building's own DUC/PLC.</p>



<p>A common example could be that Kiona's AI has made a new calculation on the heat curve, which is published to the MQTT Broker. EcoStruxure subscribes to updates from there, detects new data for a specific property, and enables updates to the building's connected DUC.</p>



<p>All in all, the connection between the different pieces of the puzzle was smooth and easy.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mqtt-broker-acts-as-a-hub">MQTT Broker acts as a hub</h2>



<p>Kiona MQTT Broker – This feature works like OneDrive for data, where different stakeholders, users, and suppliers with authorization can work in the same "document" simultaneously.</p>



<p>The structure is based on the <a href="https://nodered.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Node-RED software</a>, a flow-based, low-code development tool for visual programming to connect hardware devices, APIs, and online services. By creating JavaScript functions in a browser-based interface, a flow editor has been set up that can be likened to an Excel sheet with tabs for different types of data. For example, there is a tab for indoor climate and another tab for control.</p>



<p>The MQTT Broker controls what EcoStruxure (SCADA) should do in each building.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://kiona.com/app/uploads/2024/09/Ecostructure-Uddevallahem-illustration_final.png"><img src="https://kiona.com/app/uploads/2024/09/Ecostructure-Uddevallahem-illustration_final.png" alt="Sketch of the building automation ecosystem / integration" class="wp-image-55744"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Illustration: Sketch of ecosystem / integration</em></figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-the-intelligence-is-used">How the intelligence is used</h2>



<p>Temperature readings from each apartment constantly flow in, and the data model automatically learns, via AI and Machine Learning, how the house feels and behaves and how thermally sluggish it is. It also takes in parameters such as date and time and local weather. Edge transmits the data via DUCs at the heating stations and pairs it with measured temperatures in the apartments. The data goes in both directions and teaches the system what temperature to send out.</p>





<p>He also believes that having the calculations, or algorithms for the setpoint calculations, in an external cloud, as Kiona does, has several advantages. He says that vendors who build their technology in this way can be very agile in developing the algorithms and can add more inputs from other data sources. They can also modify the algorithms so that different input parameters have more or less impact on the setpoints.</p>



<p>"Kiona develops the algorithms in its own IT environment. There is no need to transfer programs or updates to the customers, which always takes time before implementation, and time is money. All this makes the system development cost-effective and, not least, faster to implement in more buildings."</p>



<p>In addition to having the calculations "in the cloud," the service includes a visual block model of Uddevallahem's various buildings, which the system controls. The 3D models illustrate everything clearly and show each apartment temperature sensor as a small dot in different colors: blue, green, or red, depending on the measured value.</p>



<p>You can turn the model upside down and examine the indoor climate over time. This provides strong visual feedback that can translate the theoretical into the concrete.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-results">The results</h2>



<p>The project will be completed in early fall 2024 by connecting about half of Uddevallahem's buildings to the ecosystem, a process done at the push of a button.</p>



<p>"It will have a major impact on how we at Uddevallahem work with automation and efficiency in our buildings," says Andreas Skälegård.</p>



<p>This approach is based on code and does not require hardware installation as needed before. Code is much faster to implement for a heating center and then easily repeated for ten more buildings, rather than ordering electricians to install hardware with a low repetition rate. It also offers several advantages, such as implementing updates directly and automatically, including injecting AI algorithms for energy optimization. <strong>In addition, an ecosystem that is dynamic, flexible, and scalable has been created</strong>.</p>

Build ecosystems with independent pieces – get the most efficient control algorithms

Sara Hampf

Want to know more about the features of Energinet?

<p>At Kiona, we understand the importance of having access to complete data and insights to make informed decisions. Energinet is our energy management system (EMS), developed in collaboration with customers and energy advisors to provide a solution that can meet anyone's needs.</p>



<p>It adapts to all sectors, including property, industrial, power, farming, and transport, providing a complete solution for managing energy consumption and enhancing efficiency. Our platform offers a hassle-free setup, user-friendly interface, and access to essential reports with all critical figures needed to reach your sustainability goals.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-control-your-data-sources-and-gain-control-of-the-sustainability">Control your data sources and gain control of the sustainability</h2>



<p>One of the best features is the possibility of tailoring your reports, analyses, and dashboards to unlock the information your company needs.</p>



<p>Energinet allows you to easily monitor energy consumption, forecast trends, and analyze waste management strategies. It also collects essential building data, pinpoints when energy peaks occur, and enables you to reduce them through optimized energy use.</p>





<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-efficiency-through-dynamic-solutions">Efficiency through dynamic solutions</h2>



<p>We can guarantee a complete overview of energy data and consumption. Whether you're managing a building or an industrial facility, our adaptable platform equips you with the insights you need to measure performance effectively.</p>



<p>You can easily set specific energy targets for your meters or buildings, track trends and receive instant alarms for deviations, establish performance benchmarks, and fine-tune your energy strategies.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-easy-onboarding-of-new-buildings-and-meters">Easy onboarding of new buildings and meters</h2>



<p>Our straightforward tool makes it easier to onboard new buildings and meters to your portfolio without complex processes. With unmatched meter flexibility, including the option to create custom meter types, you have complete control over the data you collect and analyze.</p>





<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-open-and-user-friendly-for-your-convenience">Open and user friendly for your convenience </h2>



<p>We are committed to creating open solutions, and Energinet is an excellent example. With it, you can easily integrate with external systems, import data through files, or manually enter meter readings. We collect data from third-party software, which receives meter data from their APIs – including data from utility companies or other system suppliers.</p>



<p>Transferring data from other Kiona products, such as <a href="https://kiona.com/products/iwmac/">IWMAC</a> or <a href="https://kiona.com/products/web-port/">Web Port</a>, is a walk in the park with API connections already built into our platform. When data comes in from various systems, it can be frustrating to create reports and extract the data you need at any moment. You get a user-friendly interface that consistently presents all data regardless of the source.</p>

Get ahead of energy efficiency and sustainability with Energinet

Energinet

Do you want to know more about Energinet? See more features and add-ons here.

<p></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-reports">Reports</h2>



<p>Reports in Energinet can list any data, for example, energy, water, waste, cost, and CO2 savings. You can choose between a wide range of pre-made reports. It is possible to compare the overall reports that cover parts of a building, the whole building, or even the whole portfolio of buildings.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Here are a few examples of reports ready to use:</p>



<ul>
<li>Energy analysis,&nbsp;</li>



<li>Carbon dioxide emissions,&nbsp;</li>



<li>Energy consumption,&nbsp;</li>



<li>Water usage,&nbsp;</li>



<li>Waste quantities,&nbsp;</li>



<li>Solar production</li>



<li>COP figures&nbsp;</li>
</ul>



<p>Our EMS's flexibility also lets you create your own reports – only your creativity will set the limit. Create a tenant report or an energy analysis in any way you wish. Or make a report on custom meter types and smart meters.</p>





<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-share-your-reports">Share your reports</h3>



<p>You can easily share your reports with relevant colleagues, customers, or tenants. This is an easy way of sharing information and knowledge about, for example, energy or waste consumption. Reports can be sent automatically via e-mail at pre-determined intervals. Get complete control of when to send the reports at any given time on a daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly basis. You decide on what day or time you want the report delivered, which is then automated in the system.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-user-specific-dashboard">User-specific dashboard</h2>



<p>You can design your dashboard to make your work easier and more efficient. Choose relevant reports for your work and add them to the dashboard to get a fast and clear view of your building's information and consumption. Select from both standard reports and your custom-made reports. If you work with a portfolio of buildings, each can have a different dashboard, depending on what information you need from each building.&nbsp;</p>

Get customized dashboard and reports with Energinet

Janot Dohrmann

<p>Understanding and optimizing energy consumption is paramount.</p>



<p>However, understanding energy consumption has traditionally been a challenging task. It involved getting permission from your energy company, coordinating with installers to come and connect new hardware, dealing with potential problems, and waiting for weeks to get the system up and running. All these factors made the process time-consuming, costly, and far from efficient.</p>





<p>And if you have many meters, it can be a huge project.</p>



<p>Luckily, there is a simpler way. Using your building's existing hardware from <a href="https://group.vattenfall.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Vattenfall</a> and their API – <a href="https://kiona.com/products/edge" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Edge</a> can automatically collect, analyze, and present all your energy data in an easy-to-understand summary. Here is how it works and what benefits you can expect:</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-remote-reading-your-gateway-to-seamless-data-transfer">Remote reading: your gateway to seamless data transfer</h2>



<p>Vattenfall collects and reads data from your energy meters remotely. Vattenfall's API integration also allows for <strong>remote data reading to other systems</strong>, simplifying the process of energy monitoring. Edge can obtain this data via the API every 15 minutes, providing a real-time overview and analysis of your energy consumption.</p>



<p>This level of detail can help identify trends and areas for improvement. Plus, no one likes being surprised when the energy bill lands in the inbox.</p>





<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-easier-projects-and-faster-roll-out-using-your-existing-hardware">Easier projects and faster roll-out – using your existing hardware</h2>



<p>Gone are the days of chasing down multiple parties, waiting around for installations, and dealing with unexpected problems. Also, by using hardware that already exists in your building, we reduce the need for additional components and devices, promoting sustainability. That's good news for our planet.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-making-sense-of-it-all-with-edge">Making sense of it all with Edge</h2>



<p>Once the data is in, it's sent to our self-learning AI, Edge. This is where the magic happens. The data gets crunched, analyzed, and turned into insights about how you're using energy. <strong>While Vattenfall uses this data for billing, we use it to give you a clear picture of what's going on with your energy consumption – and how you can improve.</strong></p>



<p>Edge works around the clock to optimize your building's energy usage and show you, using historical and real-time data, whether you are on track.</p>



<p>Armed with this knowledge, you can make smart decisions and really get a handle on your energy use.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-want-to-know-how-you-can-use-vattenfall-s-api-with-edge-talk-to-me">&nbsp;<br>Want to know how you can use Vattenfall's API with Edge?&nbsp;Talk to me!</h3>

Simpler projects, faster rollouts, and less risk – combining Vattenfall's API with Edge

Silje Moan

Browse our partner network

Looking for a pro to help you get started? 

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-get-a-clear-overview-of-your-energy-usage">Get a clear overview of your energy usage.</h2>



<p>Contrary to popular belief, energy audits are not a waste of time and are quite beneficial. A proper audit provides a clear overview of your building's current energy usage, delivering insights into the areas that might be a financial drain in an easily understandable way.</p>



<p>Nailing down the places where you are wasting energy will save you money in the long term. The audit's findings can help you create a roadmap to reduce energy usage, save money, and decrease your carbon footprint. The more detailed, the better: an effective audit is as extensive as possible, taking everything into account; the building's interior, exterior, fixtures, and equipment - to determine how these systems interact.</p>





<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What exactly is an energy audit?</h2>





<p>An energy audit can significantly vary in size. You can perform audits on a single building or your whole business enterprise. In this text, we are taking a high-level look at the steps of an audit. Systematically mapping a building's or business' energy use will identify opportunities to improve energy efficiency and reduce energy costs.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Typically we talk about two different types of audits:</h3>



<ul>
<li>A <span style="text-decoration: underline;">preliminary energy audit</span>, sometimes called a walkthrough audit, involves walking around your business premises to identify your energy usage and performance. This audit only requires a little measurement or data collection and doesn't take much time. However, it can reveal opportunities to become more energy efficient, provide qualitative analyses of where you can save energy, and estimate how much money you could save by implementing new measures.</li>



<li>Investment-grade or <span style="text-decoration: underline;">detailed energy audits</span> provide more extensive and precise data on various energy systems, such as pumps, fans, compressed air, and steam. These audits require more time than preliminary energy audits and take place over an extended period to provide comprehensive energy consumption reports. They typically offer a more precise image of your energy performance, allowing more specific recommendations for improvements.</li>
</ul>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



<div style="height:30px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<div class="wp-block-columns">
<div class="wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top" style="flex-basis:33.33%">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://kiona.com/app/uploads/2023/06/Energy-efficiency-1024x732.png" alt="EPC" class="wp-image-40581"/></figure>
</div>



<div class="wp-block-column" style="flex-basis:66.66%">
<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Are you looking to get an energy certificate?</strong> </h3>



<p>Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs), defined by the European Commission, provide information to consumers on buildings they plan to purchase or rent. They include an energy performance rating and recommendations for cost-effective improvements. EU countries use independent control systems for energy performance certificates and regular inspection of heating and air-conditioning systems. Some countries opted for&nbsp;alternative measures&nbsp;to regular inspection regimes of heating and air-conditioning systems.</p>



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.bpie.eu/publication/energy-performance-certificates-across-the-eu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Find a list of energy performance certificates from across the EU at BPIE (Buildings Performance Institute Europe).</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



<div style="height:30px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The process in 7 steps<strong></strong></h2>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-1-prepare-for-the-audit">1.&nbsp; Prepare for the audit</h3>



<p>Gather information about the building, such as its age, square footage, occupancy patterns, and energy usage history. You can get this information through bills, equipment specifications, and other records.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-2-walkthrough-inspection">2.&nbsp; Walkthrough inspection<strong></strong></h3>



<p>Conduct a visual inspection of the building to identify potential energy-saving opportunities. Look for air leaks, insulation levels, lighting systems, HVAC equipment, and other energy-using systems.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-3-energy-consumption-analysis">3.&nbsp; Energy consumption analysis<strong></strong></h3>



<p>Analyze the building's energy consumption data to identify patterns and trends in energy use. This can be done smoothly with <a href="https://kiona.com/products/energinet/">Energinet's</a> powerful reporting. It can also be achieved through billing data or other methods.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-4-equipment-and-systems-assessment">4.&nbsp; Equipment and systems assessment<strong></strong></h3>



<p>Assess the energy-using equipment and systems in the building, such as HVAC, lighting, and appliances. Look for inefficiencies and opportunities for improvement.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-5-recommendations">5.&nbsp; Recommendations<strong></strong></h3>



<p>Based on the energy audit findings, provide recommendations for energy-saving measures that can be implemented in the building. These may include installing energy-efficient equipment, improving insulation, and optimizing lighting and HVAC controls.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-6-implementation">6.&nbsp; Implementation<strong></strong></h3>



<p>Work with building management and maintenance personnel to implement the recommended energy-saving measures.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-7-monitoring-and-evaluation">7.&nbsp; Monitoring and evaluation<strong></strong></h3>



<p>Monitor the building's energy use and evaluate the effectiveness of the implemented measures. Make adjustments as necessary and continue to look for additional opportunities for improvement.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-first-step-is-the-hardest">The first step is the hardest<strong></strong></h2>



<p>Conducting an energy audit is an essential first step in reducing <a href="https://kiona.com/story/blog/the-thief-lurking-in-your-building-indirect-energy-use">indirect energy use in a building</a> and can help building managers identify opportunities for improvement and lower energy costs.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Stay ahead of your competition and develop a more sustainable business model through energy auditing. Demonstrate your comprehension of energy efficiency and illustrate your business's willingness to adapt. We recommend you engage professional energy auditors for a comprehensive energy audit. <a href="https://kiona.com/our-partners">Browsing our extensive Partner network is a great place to start.</a></p>

How to conduct an energy audit of a building

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Want to know more about Energinet?

<p>The development of Energinet, the energy monitoring system, began in 2002. The primary objective has been to create a web-based system with an easy interface, enabling users to access information with just a few clicks.</p>



<p>Energinet gives you information on whether what you are doing is actually working. If you have control through a SCADA or industrial control system (ICS), <a href="https://kiona.com/products/energinet/">Energinet</a> is on top and monitors the end results. This makes the job of energy management much more efficient.</p>





<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-you-need-to-have-quality-data">You need to have quality data</h2>



<p>The system has been developed in cooperation with customers and energy advisors. The result is a solution that suits absolutely everyone. From simple analyses to complex calculations for larger organizations.</p>



<p>The mindset has always been the same: the most important thing is quality and solutions that do not lock the customer in.</p>



<p>"We have no hidden agenda, so all our solutions are completely open. Energinet is independent of suppliers and can retrieve data from anywhere, anytime – that's the biggest benefit for our customers," he says.</p>







<p>Today, Energinet is used in all types of public, commercial, and industrial buildings, such as schools, hospitals, manufacturing companies, shopping centers, and grocery stores. Altogether, this amounts to an area of over one hundred million square meters, with no restrictions on the number of users, user levels, or number of meters.</p>



<p>In addition to the web solution, you can distribute information to the whole organization or defined recipients through self-reports on e-mail and app. This way, you can spend as little time as possible on reporting and monitoring and as much time as possible on energy reduction measures.</p>





<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-energy-monitoring-on-the-key-performance-indicators-that-matter">Energy monitoring on the key performance indicators that matter</h2>



<p>The monitoring system can be used for much more than <em>just</em> monitoring energy. The system is modular, with no limitations on the number of meters, virtual meters, imports, energy blocks, buildings, groups, subgroups, or users.</p>



<p>"We set up the top level of Energinet for you, so you have access to all standardized reports and key figures. Beyond that, you can create whatever you want and make any calculation that gives you the key figure you and your company are looking for. This can be anything from the <a href="https://energyeducation.ca/encyclopedia/Coefficient_of_performance" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">COP (coefficient of performance)</a> of heat pump systems, the number of kilowatts used per ton of aluminum produced, to which of your production lines is the most efficient," says Ludvigsen. </p>



<p>He explains that it is precisely then you get the data you need to say <strong>why</strong> the situation is the way it is and <strong>what </strong>you can do to make it more efficient.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://kiona.com/app/uploads/2023/05/Report-EN.png" alt="Energy monitoring report dashboard" class="wp-image-36339"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Use Energinet to tailor your reports depending on the KPIs you seek.</figcaption></figure>



<p>"Without information, you know nothing. You can believe and guess –&nbsp;but that doesn't produce results. You need to understand the history, the current situation, and whether the measures are working."</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-break-the-bottlenecks-and-control-the-consumption">Break the bottlenecks –&nbsp;and control the consumption</h2>



<p>The potential for energy savings remains high in most of the areas in which we operate.</p>



<p>"For example, many people run automatic regulations of indoor temperature depending on the outdoor temperature but don't really know whether it is energy efficient or not. Once the setup of Energinet is ready, you can immediately catch unnecessary errors or excessive energy consumption related to ventilation, cooling, or heat recovery. This makes it possible to monitor operations and work in a more energy-efficient way," he explains.</p>



<p>But without access to and analysis of the right data, it's impossible to know where to start to make the right choices. And steering without oversight –&nbsp;is a bit like shooting in the dark.</p>



<p>"We rely on customers to understand the value of fully open solutions and not lock themselves into a single supplier."</p>



<p>"Take any building, with a sea of different systems. Bring data from all of them into a single solution and see what actually matters to your operations. Then a lot of the work is done." he concludes.</p>

Energy monitoring: – Drop the gut feeling, and make decisions based on data

<p>With high energy prices and concerns over energy dependence, reducing our consumption is on everyone's mind.</p>



<p>And when it comes to energy, you're likely familiar with direct energy use, which refers to the energy consumed by a building's mechanical and electrical systems, such as lighting, heating, and air conditioning. However, another form of usage is often overlooked – known as <strong>indirect energy use</strong>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-indirect-energy-use-what-is-it">Indirect energy use: what is it?</h2>



<p>Indirect energy use refers to the energy consumed during the production, transportation, and disposal of goods and services a building uses, such as the energy required to manufacture building materials, transport products to the location, or waste disposal.</p>





<p>Although indirect energy use may not be so noticeable, it can make up an important part of a building's overall footprint. For example, the energy required to produce a single brick is&nbsp;<a href="https://pliteq.com/news/building-vs-carbon-footprint/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">estimated to be about 1 kWh</a>&nbsp;(making it a fairly average material choice). However, if thousands of bricks are required for construction, that's still a lot of indirect energy use.</p>



<p>Similarly, building materials such as concrete and steel have a much higher embodied energy than materials such as wood and bamboo.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-indirect-energy-use-affects-energy-savings-in-buildings">How indirect energy use affects energy savings in buildings</h2>



<p>Indirect energy use is closely related to energy savings in buildings, as it accounts for a big portion of a building's environmental impact. Reducing this type of energy in buildings is a crucial step in boosting savings and sustainability.</p>



<p>Here are some measures that can be taken:</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-1-choose-sustainable-building-materials">1. Choose sustainable building materials</h3>



<p>By selecting building materials that are sustainably sourced, energy-efficient, and have low embodied energy, you can reduce the indirect energy used in their production.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://kiona.com/app/uploads/2023/04/Building-materials-by-Rodolfo-Quiros-Pexels-1240x698-1.jpg" alt="Choose building materials required for the purpose and expected life cycle." class="wp-image-34862"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Remember: <em>Choosing materials with low embodied energy may result in higher energy use in operations, and materials with higher embodied energy can result in a building with lower operational energy. The most important part is to choose materials required for the purpose and expected life cycle. Photo by Rodolfo Quirós / Pexels</em>.</figcaption></figure>



<p><em>Assessing the embodied energy of a material or whole building is a complex task. Re-using existing materials, choosing new materials made of recycled content, and designing for a long building life is a good guide. Learn more about </em><a href="https://www.yourhome.gov.au/materials/embodied-energy" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>calculating embodied energy</em></a><em>.</em></p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-2-optimize-building-systems">2. Optimize building systems</h3>



<p>By automating building systems such as lighting, HVAC, and ventilation, we can ensure that these systems only operate when needed. This can reduce energy waste and promote more efficient use of resources, also resulting in more environmental benefits.</p>



<p>Looking for options that allow you to add on other systems or solutions later is a great way to ensure scalable possibilities that you won't grow out of right away (and that you won't have to replace).</p>





<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-3-re-use-existing-buildings-and-infrastructure">3. Re-use existing buildings and infrastructure</h3>



<p>Re-using existing buildings reduces the environmental impact of construction by conserving resources and reducing waste. It also helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with producing new materials.</p>



<p>With affordable solutions, we can make today's buildings much smarter just by upgrading the existing equipment. This is possible as long as the systems can talk to each other.&nbsp;Our <a href="https://kiona.com/products" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">open and flexible platform</a> is built for that purpose.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-going-green-it-s-complicated">Going green? It's complicated.</h2>



<p>To truly understand a building's energy footprint, it is important to consider all the energy and resources that go into producing and operating a building, including both direct and indirect energy use.</p>



<p>Additionally, leveraging flexible automation solutions can help you achieve even greater energy savings, but this is just one part of the equation. Re-using existing buildings, choosing sustainable building materials, and implementing effective waste programs are just as important.</p>



<p>It's time to speed up building smartness. And to reach our climate targets, "smart" can't be synonymous with flashy new buildings. <strong>We must do something about all existing buildings, which is entirely possible.</strong></p>

The thief lurking in your building – indirect energy use

Wojciech Kubicki

Lower your operational costs

Learn more about our building management solutions

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Gdańsk Science and Technology Park (GPNT)

The purpose of the modernization was to reduce heat consumption in the GPNT buildings, used for central heating, ventilation, and process heat while ensuring thermal comfort for users. Above all, we expected a reduction in heating costs, but an important aspect for us was also the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and other substances harmful to health and the environment generated during heat production.

Chief Specialist at Pomorska Specjalna Strefa Ekonomiczna, the company managing the park

Compared to traditional thermal modernization projects that can take months, implementing an intelligent heat consumption management system can be completed in just a few days. In fact, the building can be equipped with the new system as soon as four weeks after signing the contract. This means that even starting from scratch, significant reductions in heat energy consumption can be achieved during the current heating season.

michal-zaleski-gpnt-2

Michał-Zaleski-GPNT

Project Manager at Kiona

Look through our different use cases and get real-world details from Kiona customers.

Case Studies

<p><strong>Gdansk Science and Technology Park is a vibrant business and technology center where dozens of companies have found a place to run their business.</strong></p>



<p>Although these are relatively new facilities (commissioned in 2011-2014), the owner of the complex saw the potential to reduce heating costs by installing an intelligent thermal management system.&nbsp;The tender for the design and installation of such a system was won by Kiona, offering our <a href="https://kiona.com/products/edge/">Edge-solution</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-about-the-project">About the project</h2>



<p>The modernization project at <a href="https://gpnt.pl/en">Gdańsk Science and Technology Park</a> focused on two buildings, A and B, with a combined usable area of 25,300 m². These buildings have a heated area of 9,800 m² and 9,140 m².</p>



<p>The buildings were originally equipped with a traditional control, regulation, and heat management system based on the current outdoor temperature and the heating curve. The park uses heat from the municipal installation for central heating, ventilation, domestic hot water, and process heat.</p>



<p>As part of the modernization plan, the existing heating system that relied solely on measuring the outdoor temperature was scheduled to be upgraded. The new system takes into account various factors such as the forecast temperature, expected sunlight, precipitation, humidity, and wind speed. Additionally, it constantly monitors the internal temperature, the building's thermal performance, and the current ambient temperature. This allows for more precise control of the heat distribution.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-installation">Installation</h2>



<p>Another requirement for the new heating management system was that all its elements should be fully compatible with <strong>the existing control system</strong> at the substation. The goal was to avoid any changes to the substation's technological setup. In addition, the new system should also have the option to operate traditionally based on the current outdoor temperature if there is no weather forecast available.</p>



<p>The Edge system, based on IoT technology, is a solution for controlling, monitoring, and optimizing heat consumption, satisfying all the requirements of the park. Thanks to the "light" architecture, based on a wireless network (WM-Bus, Wireless Meter-Bus), the installation work lasted only two days and did not interfere with the day-to-day operations of the park itself or its tenants.</p>





<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-achieving-energy-goals">Achieving energy goals</h2>



<p>The solution implemented at the Gdańsk Science and Technology Park consists of several basic elements: a device controlling the operation of the heating substation, a network of internal temperature and humidity sensors, a gateway that facilitates communication with cloud services, and the WM-Bus network, which connects all the network elements to the gateway.</p>



<p>To monitor the temperature on the supply and return pipes (which distribute heat from the municipal network to the buildings), two wireless, battery-powered contact sensors were installed.</p>



<ul>
<li>In buildings such as GPNTs buildings, heat consumption is usually reduced by about 10% after installing Edge.</li>



<li>This translates to a fast return on investment, with the savings covering the total cost of the system within just a few months, especially given today's energy prices.</li>
</ul>



<p>The best part is that these savings are almost immediate, so building owners and managers don't have to wait long to start seeing the benefits.</p>

Gdansk Science and Technology Park (GPNT)

Viktor Vitell

Find out how

Turn traditional buildings into smart buildings with IoT

<p>Where you today have limited control in buildings or facilities, IoT connectivity enables the digital control necessary for temperature regulation, ventilation control, refrigeration, and other systems. Once installed, IoT units (such as sensors) can send real-time data through the cellular network to an IoT platform, where you can monitor, manage, and optimize installations.</p>



<p>Issues that once forced building managers to make expensive on-site visits to resolve can now be done digitally. In many cases, proper monitorisation can often address a potential fault before it becomes an issue. Managers could collect five times more data points with the appropriate technology. That's also five times the knowledge.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-data-driven-decisions-save-cash"><strong>Data-driven decisions save cash</strong></h2>



<p>The reality is that the building sector is a bit of a digitalization laggard. The data points needed to optimize energy efficiency (such as data on humidity, temperature, electricity consumption, and building infrastructure) that could be available and structured are often not.</p>



<p>Today, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2019/10/16/what-is-unstructured-data-and-why-is-it-so-important-to-businesses-an-easy-explanation-for-anyone/?sh=fa9c38815f64" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">80-90% of an organization's data is unstructured</a>. Data collection would not only be used to lower energy consumption but also support decision-making on where to invest and why.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://kiona.com/app/uploads/2022/11/edge-data-driven-by-PeopleImages-getty-images-signature-1400x933-1-1024x682.jpg" alt="Data-driven decisions save cash" class="wp-image-23749"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Use the data from Edge to make informed decisions about your buildings. Photo: PeopleImages / Getty Images Signature</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-typical-faults-and-easy-remedies-for-heating-systems"><strong>Typical faults and easy remedies for heating systems</strong></h2>



<p>By reducing and adapting the supply temperature of the heating system using digital management – annual energy cost reductions in the range of 10%-15% are well achievable for large, multi-tenant buildings. Of course, it depends on the specific case.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Another critical aspect valuable to monitor is the early detection of technical faults in heating systems. Typical problems are malfunctioning temperature sensors or servo motors of valves. Here, unnecessary energy costs, heating system follow-up, repair, or replacement costs can be avoided by catching any issues early.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>From a property owner's perspective, improving property value is significant. And investment funds are optimizing their property asset portfolios from an energy efficiency perspective. While highly energy-inefficient buildings risk becoming stranded assets, energy management, and optimization investments can significantly increase property value.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong><em>Ready to learn more? Calculate the potential benefits cellular IoT can add to your business.</em></strong></h4>



<span class="hs-cta-wrapper" id="hs-cta-wrapper-d3d25608-5a74-4564-aae2-2d48761d6edb"><span class="hs-cta-node hs-cta-d3d25608-5a74-4564-aae2-2d48761d6edb" id="hs-cta-d3d25608-5a74-4564-aae2-2d48761d6edb"><a href="https://hubspot-cta-redirect-eu1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/redirect/8805657/d3d25608-5a74-4564-aae2-2d48761d6edb" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="hs-cta-img" id="hs-cta-img-d3d25608-5a74-4564-aae2-2d48761d6edb" style="border-width:0px;" src="https://hubspot-no-cache-eu1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/default/8805657/d3d25608-5a74-4564-aae2-2d48761d6edb.png"  alt="Go to Ericsson and try the value calculator"/></a></span><script charset="utf-8" src="https://js-eu1.hscta.net/cta/current.js"></script><script type="text/javascript"> hbspt.cta.load(8805657, 'd3d25608-5a74-4564-aae2-2d48761d6edb', {"useNewLoader":"true","region":"eu1"}); </script></span>



<div style="height:30px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-invest-in-energy-management-systems"><strong>Why invest in energy management systems?</strong></h2>



<p>Smart building energy management has come a long way since James Southerland constructed his ECHO IV home computer in 1977, and the building segment has the clear potential to develop from a digitalization laggard to an innovation hot-shot.&nbsp;</p>



<p>With systems fed by an accelerating stream of data from physical and virtual sensors, it becomes more and more realistic to create comprehensive digital twins of buildings. Digital twins represent not only the physical structures of buildings but also all active operating technology and building usage.&nbsp;</p>





<p>Investments in data-driven <a href="https://kiona.com/solutions/energy-management/">energy management of buildings</a> can generate substantial business value. Quickly and with limited investments. This will not eliminate the need for building energy renovations but will allow us to improve energy efficiency quickly. The data collected provides insights into where to invest in a renovation to maximize the return on investment.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>Improving energy efficiency through data analysis is just one aspect of managing a building and a great step toward enhancing the savings potential of properties. Our building management solutions get the most out of existing building technology and IoT to collect all the data you need to make sustainable future decisions. Good for business and good for the environment.&nbsp;</p>

Money talks – the business benefits of energy management

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<p>Building owners, operations managers, and tenants want their buildings to meet specific standards. It's about keeping emissions down and consumption low. It's because we care about the footprint we leave behind. Environmental management is here to stay – and if you're going to keep up with the rest, there are some things you need to be in control of.</p>



<h2 id="h-daily-control-with-sustainable-management">Daily control with sustainable management</h2>



<p>ISO certifications, Eco-Lighthouse, the Nordic Swan Ecolabel, "Don't print this email," and source-sorting of waste are just some of the things we do to help make our workplace or building as sustainable as possible. However, if you seriously intend to put energy monitoring on the agenda, you must include more parameters.</p>



<p>It's not just about alerting people and managing energy. It's about everything we do that generates consumption. Like water, waste, CO<sub>2</sub>, and not least: reliable reporting of the key indicators that matter. This is how you reach your goal:</p>



<h2 id="h-energy-monitoring-and-a-bit-more-as-well">Energy monitoring – and a bit more as well</h2>





<p>With a full-scale EMS (Energy Monitoring System) solution, you can control all energy data, regardless of the communication protocol. This way, you can take control of your operations with precise measurement and evaluation of emissions. It's good for the environment and also reduces operating costs. And it doesn't stop there.</p>



<p>Because if you are going to be energy smart, you need an overview of both past and present consumption.</p>



<ul>
<li>Are the energy-saving measures producing results?</li>



<li>Is automation working as well as it should?</li>



<li>What are the buildings or processes where we should be implementing measures?</li>
</ul>



<p><a href="https://kiona.com/products/energinet/">Energinet</a> will give you answers to all these questions.</p>



<h3 id="h-collection-of-environmental-data">Collection of environmental data</h3>



<p>You get to collect all types of consumption data in a user-friendly system. Measure energy, water, steam, pressure, temperature, or volume data in liters or kg. With an administrative tool tailored to waste and environmental management as well as energy consumption, you get all aspects of what counts – the bottom line.</p>



<h3 id="h-dashboards-and-reporting">Dashboards and reporting</h3>



<p>Set up your  dashboards with what's important to you, and get automatic report mailings. You can then identify discrepancies and opportunities for savings while having total flexibility in terms of the report tool tailored to your organization and particular industry.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://kiona.com/app/uploads/2022/04/Energinet-Dashboard-eng.jpg" alt="Energinet Dashboard" class="wp-image-9174"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">See the most important data on your Energinet dashboard.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 id="h-what-are-you-waiting-for">What are you waiting for?</h2>



<p>If you currently have energy data in your Kiona solution, it is easy to connect Energinet. Combine alerts, management, and energy control in a single complete reporting tool – and you're well on your way to environmental measures that will impact your business.</p>

Environmental management is here to stay

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Find your solution

Victoriahem AB

eco-energy-310x310

<h4 id="h-successful-energy-return-of-820-tonnes-of-co2-year-after-year"><span style="color: #7fcc88;">Reduced CO<sup>2</sup> emissions</span></h4>


<h3><strong>on averege per year</strong></h3>


<h4><span style="color: #7fcc88;">Saving</span></h4>


<h4><span style="color: #7fcc88;">Total energy saving</span></h4>


eco-energy-310x310-2

Results

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-successfully-reduced-emissions-by-820-tonnes-of-co2">Successfully reduced emissions by 820 tonnes of CO<sub>2</sub></h2>



<p>Increased property value and reduced environmental impact at Victoriahem.</p>



<p><a href="https://www.victoriahem.se/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Victoriahem AB</a> (formerly Victoria Park AB) and Kiona have been working on energy and environmental optimization for a few years. Victoriahem's properties stretch through various locations in Sweden, where the collaboration has continuously delivered successful energy savings and reduced emissions of about 820 tonnes of CO<sub>2</sub>, year after year.</p>



<p>The collaboration started in 2018 and included most of Victoriahem's properties around Sweden, where Victoriahem has chosen to fully invest in <a href="https://kiona.com/da/produkter/edge/">Edge</a> as the central platform for environmental and energy optimization. The collaboration now covers approximately 28 000 apartments with 1 960 000  m<sup>2</sup> of lettable space, fully connected to Edge's cloud service for continuous optimization with associated IoT infrastructure.</p>



<p>They have increased net operating income and property value with Edge while reducing energy use and putting sustainability as a top priority. The system has also become a valuable tool for the operations organization, allowing them to stay on top of measures that increase tenants' satisfaction. By connecting their properties to the cloud, operations staff can remotely monitor and analyze their properties across the country, proving that an investment in digitalization is an investment for the future.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Victoriahem about their experience with Edge</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-vimeo wp-block-embed-vimeo wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://vimeo.com/771088834
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Per Ekelund, VP, Victoriahem AB</figcaption></figure>

Victoriahem

<p>The world around us is getting smarter and smarter. We see vehicles driving autonomously, drones fostering apple trees, body sensors surveilling our health status, and many other clever IoT applications. However, one of the industry segments with a relatively slow adaptation of smart solutions is the buildings sector, even though the energy efficiency of buildings is a hot topic – for all good reasons:&nbsp;</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Collectively, buildings in the EU are responsible for 40% of our energy consumption and 36% of greenhouse gas emissions, which is not sustainable. </li>



<li>75% of Europe's buildings are not energy efficient today, and it is forecasted that <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/info/news/focus-energy-efficiency-buildings-2020-lut-17_en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">95% of those buildings will still be in use in 2050</a>. This means that, particularly in times of energy crises, property owners are leaving much money on the table </li>



<li>To reach the overall EU objective of a 55% reduction in emissions by 2030, the building sector would need to <a href="https://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/indicators/greenhouse-gas-emissions-from-energy/assessment" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reduce its emissions by 60%;</a> this couldn't be more demanding.  </li>
</ul>



<p>Europe is undergoing an energy crisis, and many utility companies are falling back to fossil-based energy production to meet the demand. So, where do you invest?</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-steel-and-concrete-or-iot-and-ai"><strong>Steel and concrete or IoT and AI?</strong></h2>



<p>The most obvious way to address the above challenges is physical updates; to improve building insulation, replace blowing windows, and replace fossil-based heating systems with heat pumps and solar panels. This needs to be done, but let's face it – you can't do this overnight.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>The current energy renovation rate of building stocks in Europe is 1%, and most of today's global building stock will still exist in 2050. Suppose the building sector is to reduce its carbon emissions by 60% by 2030. In that case, the energy renovation rate of Europe's building stock needs to double – quite a challenge given the souring costs for building materials and the scarcity of resources in this industry.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>As for many industries, digitalization offers another way to address challenges. Collecting all sorts of data related to the indoor climate of a building; weather conditions, energy consumption, and heating system performance helps turn questions into answers.&nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://kiona.com/app/uploads/2022/05/multi-residential-1.jpg" alt="Collecting building data with IoT solutions." class="wp-image-7446"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Image: By analyzing and visualizing this data, you can create valuable insights into the energy performance of a building, steer heating and cooling systems (optimizing the building's energy consumption), and minimize carbon emissions.</figcaption></figure>



<p>This approach creates value not by building insulation and window replacement but by leveraging <a href="https://kiona.com/products/edge" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IoT and AI engines</a> to collect and process building data.&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong>The technology is here</strong>, the investments needed are much smaller than mechanical construction, and results can be achieved much faster. But let's be clear: Smart building solutions are complementary to the energy renovation of buildings; they don't replace it.</p>





<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-iot-meets-the-property-sector"><strong>Where IoT meets the property sector</strong></h2>



<p>Success in building automation has many enablers, ranging from AI systems to sensors and actuators, and last but not least, IoT connectivity. The key to success in this industry segment is the co-value creation in ecosystems that turn smart buildings into reality.&nbsp;</p>



<p>With that in mind, we explored the true value and impact of IoT-connected buildings together with <a href="https://www.ericsson.com/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ericsson</a> and <a href="https://www.adlittle.com/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Arthur D. Little</a>. The report <strong>Connected Buildings Energy Management</strong> elevates the need to monitor, control, and optimize energy usage – enabling property owners to decrease energy costs and CO<sub>2</sub> emissions.</p>



<span class="hs-cta-wrapper" id="hs-cta-wrapper-307ab3f0-52c8-4e65-8a7d-1a32b3fbb454"><span class="hs-cta-node hs-cta-307ab3f0-52c8-4e65-8a7d-1a32b3fbb454" id="hs-cta-307ab3f0-52c8-4e65-8a7d-1a32b3fbb454"><a href="https://hubspot-cta-redirect-eu1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/redirect/8805657/307ab3f0-52c8-4e65-8a7d-1a32b3fbb454" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="hs-cta-img" id="hs-cta-img-307ab3f0-52c8-4e65-8a7d-1a32b3fbb454" style="border-width:0px;" src="https://hubspot-no-cache-eu1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/default/8805657/307ab3f0-52c8-4e65-8a7d-1a32b3fbb454.png"  alt="Connected Buildings Energy Management. Go to Ericsson and download now."/></a></span><script charset="utf-8" src="https://js-eu1.hscta.net/cta/current.js"></script><script type="text/javascript"> hbspt.cta.load(8805657, '307ab3f0-52c8-4e65-8a7d-1a32b3fbb454', {"useNewLoader":"true","region":"eu1"}); </script></span>

The energy efficiency of buildings – the pressure is on!

Contact Sales

Take control of your facilities energy use - speak to one of our experts today.

Theme overview

<p>Do you know how much energy you are wasting or saving? Perhaps you only analyze this when receiving an energy bill or undertaking the monthly review in your energy management system (EMS)?&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>The expression "every little bit helps" may be ages old, but it is still appropriate when discussing energy consumption. Although it's the major projects usually make the headlines, small everyday measures provide significant benefits for the vast majority of savers.</p>



<p>And with that in mind, we collected our best "energy tricks" to inspire you so you can get started with measures that work today.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-are-you-wasting-your-energy">Are you wasting your energy?&nbsp;&nbsp;</h2>





<p>Here is our quick guide for anyone who wants to make a start on becoming energy-efficient. With these 7 steps, you can keep consumption low without sacrificing comfort and the indoor climate. Go through the list in the article and carefully check each point. Get the overview you need to set about implementing successful measures.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>





<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-four-energy-thieves-you-can-easily-overcome">Four energy thieves you can easily overcome&nbsp;</h2>



<p>So, you have a good idea of what's what in your electricity bills. However, how much is pure waste? Are you using more energy than is necessary? Here are the most common energy thieves and how you can put an end to them!&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>





<ul>
<li>Would you like a little extra inspiration? <a href="https://www.cowi.com/about/news-and-press/lidl-certified-as-the-worlds-first-zero-co2-grocery-store" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">See the world's first zero CO₂ certified, climate-neutral supermarket!</a>&nbsp;</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-can-we-overcome-soaring-electricity-prices">How can we overcome soaring electricity prices?&nbsp;&nbsp;</h2>





<p>Electricity is essential for operating all the modern technologies in our buildings. In the Nordic countries, we use a lot of electricity. How these technologies interact is a critical factor in keeping costs down.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>Read more about how you can prevent the various heating and cooling sources in your premises from working against each other and, in effect, throwing money straight out of the window.</p>





<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-understanding-energy-efficiency-paves-the-way-for-order">Understanding energy efficiency paves the way for order</h2>



<p>The heating season is challenging for many. For multi-residentials, the requirements are set. Not only do you have to meet the tenants' wishes and needs, but you should also save energy at the same time. </p>



<p>Learn from the real world and see how The Settlement Houses optimized their heating season, which led to big savings. Today they have <a href="https://kiona.com/products/edge/">Edge</a>, our IoT and AI engine connected to 17 properties, and have cut their energy consumption by 1502 MWh. </p>





<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-environmental-management-is-here-to-stay">Environmental management is here to stay&nbsp;&nbsp;</h2>



<p>We have now looked at energy consumption and costs in some detail. However, serious use of energy monitoring requires that you take several parameters into account. After all, saving energy is essentially about reducing everything that generates consumption. And this means water, waste, and CO<sub>2</sub> emissions come into the equation.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>Here are a few tips on taking control of your operations and measuring, evaluating, and checking whether the actions you implement work.</p>





<h2 class="wp-block-heading has-large-font-size">What can you already do today?</h2>



<p>What is so crucial about saving energy besides costs and electricity bills? In the "kilowatt hours battle", there is little to match the energy optimization of kilowatt-hours. Not even wind power has as much impact.&nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://kiona.com/app/uploads/2022/04/environmental-management-1024x576.jpg" alt="Take control of your energy operations" class="wp-image-21592"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Phtoto: bgStock72 / Getty images</figcaption></figure>



<ol>
<li><strong>Review your technical plant </strong><br>Reviewing the condition of your plant is the first step in identifying energy losses. How much is simply being thrown away? Are you getting notifications when you need them? Investment in continuous monitoring is good for both your wallet and the environment. You discover problems earlier.</li>



<li><strong>Use an energy management system</strong><br>Keeping up to date in an ocean of energy data can be difficult. Updating often gets forgotten after a while if a manual element is also involved.  An energy management system (EMS), like <a href="https://kiona.com/products/energinet/">Energinet</a>, can be a good tool for gaining a full overview of energy consumption. Build your own reports or utilize ready-made standard reports and get information on all consumption data and costs. When it comes down to the crucial details of energy saving, nothing is as important as having the correct data at hand. </li>



<li><strong>Perform an energy analysis</strong><br>Establish what is consuming power - a leaky valve, for example, is not a fault that is so easy to pick up. Nothing " physically " is wrong, and systems may continue to show you everything is fine. It is only when you analyze the temperature graphs that you can see something is not as it should be</li>
</ol>





<p>Did you know that rehabilitating existing buildings and upgrading their technologies is one of the best things we can do for the environment? Fortunately, we are experts in making old buildings smart.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<ul>
<li><a href="https://clevair.io/blog/retrofitting-old-buildings-necessary/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read more about why energy optimization of old buildings is necessary and profitable.</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ready-to-do-both-yourself-and-the-environment-a-favor">Ready to do both yourself and the environment a favor?</h2>



<p>Using first-class integration solutions, we monitor your facilities and notify you of deviations.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>





<p>The Kiona platform is a hybrid, cloud-based web system that you can operate via telephone, tablet, and PC. It gives you a complete overview of electricity, water, ventilation, and energy use. Wherever you are, you can also override equipment whenever you want.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Our system is flexible and independent of your equipment's supplier, technology, or age. You are always ready for whatever technological development brings.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

All you need to know about saving energy

Want to know how you can capture the energy thieves in your building?

<p>The minds behind Kiona have been in pursuit of energy thieves for almost two decades. Over this time, we have identified several eager repeat offenders. Here are the usual suspects.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 id="h-1-the-ventilation-system-the-suspect-is-well-known"><strong>1. The ventilation system – the suspect is well known.</strong>&nbsp;</h2>



<p>At Kiona, we often find that customers are stunned when they see the energy calculations for their building. They are often in the dark about the substantial potential for making savings. The ventilation system is nearly always mixed up in this affair.&nbsp;</p>



<p>"The most common event is that the system is running around the clock or has too much uptime. It's important to remember that you're not only trying to save energy but that you need to distribute load across the 24-hour day so that you avoid expensive energy tariffs. At the same time, you should never compromise on air quality. All this requires a lot of logic," says Jostein Markussen from Kiona.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 id="h-2-valve-leaks-energy-straight-down-the-drain"><strong>2. Valve leaks – energy straight down the drain.</strong></h2>



<p>Leaky valves is yet another repeat offender. It is an extensive system, most frequently comprising several valves open for warm water and one for cold water. If the valve on your cooling coil is leaking, this is compensated for by adding more heat. Over time, this can all add up to a terrifying energy bill.&nbsp;</p>



<p>"The problem here is that a fault like this isn't always easy to spot because there may be something physically wrong with the valve. The imaging and systems may be telling you everything is all nice and fine and sealed. It's only when you analyze the temperature graphs that you see that things aren't how they should be," says Markussen. He also adds:&nbsp;</p>



<p>"We can carry out this kind of analysis on your behalf completely automatically. Using <a href="https://kiona.com/products/iwmac/">IWMAC</a>/<a href="https://kiona.com/products/web-port/">Web Port</a>, we can set up rules to look for abnormal temperature fluctuations through autonomous systems. You'll then be notified if something has gone wrong – or if it happens in the future."&nbsp;</p>



<h2 id="h-3-district-heating-snow-melting-facility-cunning-swindlers"><strong>3. District heating/ snow melting facility – cunning swindlers.</strong>&nbsp;</h2>





<p>A snow-melting facility around an entrance or loading bay can be worth its weight in gold for businesses in the northern hemisphere that experiences heavy snow and ice in winter. However, it can cost the earth if you don't control it properly. The more energy-intensive a system is, the more critical it is to optimize it to the exact details. Many facilities like this are left running for longer than they need to be.&nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://kiona.com/app/uploads/2022/10/System_installed_snowless_Brandenburg_Germany.jpeg" alt="System installed snowless, Brandenburg, Germany" class="wp-image-21393" width="800" height="563"/><figcaption>Snowmelt system installed in Brandenburg, Germany. Photo: Saninfo1993, <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0">CC BY-SA 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons</figcaption></figure>



<p>A typical solution is to use a snow detector. Such detectors can notify the system when it discovers snow or ice. However, suppose you combine this with <a href="https://kiona.com/products/iwmac/smart-functions/forecast-based-control/">forecast-based control</a> considering data from the Meteorological Institute. In that case, you can start preheating to prevent any snow or ice from settling.&nbsp;</p>



<p>In some cases, the caretaker manually controls snow melting based on the weather forecast. This method is rarely the most effective way to manage the system.&nbsp;</p>



<p>"It might have been good enough to let the system come on at 3 a.m. instead of turning it on the evening before, or it could be turned off if the weather forecast was for snow to turn sunny and above freezing later on. That kind of smart forecast-based control can save a lot of money over time."&nbsp;</p>



<p>Our very own Ståle Eriksen has his own story to share about a customer:&nbsp;</p>



<p>"We had a customer who had their ground heating running over the summer, costing them 5 000 EUR every month. The problem is that people don't know about it. They might be told that something is broken, but what about when it's just burning through your cash? You have to actively monitor it, and most people don't have time for that."</p>



<h2 id="h-4-the-heat-regenerator-is-your-excess-heat-going-up-in-smoke"><strong>4. The heat regenerator – is your excess heat going up in smoke?</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;</h2>



<p>If your building has a heat pump or your store features a cooling and freezing system, you have a heat regenerator. It enables you to do something useful with your excess heat. If you don't need it, it goes up to the roof and straight into the sky.&nbsp;</p>



<p>"Unfortunately, this is something that we find is happening all too often. Many don't have good enough systems in place to notify them or override their heat regenerator if a need elsewhere in the building appears. That's as wasteful as it gets," says Eriksen.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 id="h-the-world-s-best-investigator-and-caretaker"><strong>The world's best investigator – and caretaker</strong></h2>



<p>Common to all of these thieves is that they are pretty easy to seize – if you know where to look. The problem is that even if you have an excellent overview of your energy use, you do not necessarily know whether it is as low as it could be.&nbsp;</p>



<p>"Simply having an overview often gives you a false sense of security. The full benefit of your overview requires either specialist expertise or regular analysis. It takes time, and no matter what, things can always happen after you have left for the day. How many people review the history and check out that kind of thing?" asks Markussen.&nbsp;</p>



<p>"Maybe you only run an analysis when you perform your monthly review of the EMS system (<em>Energy Management System</em>) or when you get your electricity bill? But by then, the invoice is already due for payment."&nbsp;</p>





<p>The solution is as simple as it is ingenious. Using Kiona's smart, data-driven limits, the system can capture whether the building is being wasteful – and notify you of the problem.&nbsp;</p>



<p>"They analyze your consumption on an ongoing basis so that you spot when something isn't working as it should. This encompasses both physical faults and when something can be tweaked to make it more efficient. We refer to these functions as "the caretaker that never sleeps" because they not only let you know, but they try to fix the problem themselves through applying logic," says Markussen.&nbsp;</p>



<p>"This way, you can simply ensure that your building uses as little energy as possible without compromising anywhere else."&nbsp;</p>

4 common energy thieves – and how to deal with them

Filip Lagerlöf

Talk to us

Want to know more about how you can optimize energy with AI?

<p>The project's objectives were, and are, to create connected and energy-efficient residential properties in Västerås Municipality by applying digital systems for energy optimization and power balancing. Entirely in line with Mälarenergi's work on the development of District Heating 2.0 (Fjärrvärme 2.0).</p>



<p>The pilot project was launched in July 2021, where our <a href="https://kiona.com/products/edge/">AI optimization service, Edge</a>, was activated on six buildings selected by Bostads AB Mimer, with 2020 as the reference year. Now, one year later, the results of the project are ready.</p>



<h2 id="h-results"><strong>Result</strong>s</h2>



<ul><li>Energy use reduced by -12.2% (normal year adjusted by energy index, compared to the reference year 2020)&nbsp;</li><li>The efficiency corresponds to an annual reduction in heating costs of -33 227 EUR (corresponding to an increased property value of 664 542 EUR at a 5% yield)</li><li>A positive impact on the balancing of power output in district heating through lower power signatures.</li></ul>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://kiona.com/app/uploads/2022/10/pilotprojekt-1024x662.jpg" alt="Effektiv energianvändning i Västerås pilotprojekt" class="wp-image-20614"/><figcaption>Some of the buildings in the pilot project, optimized by Edge. Photo: Bostads AB Mimer</figcaption></figure>



<p>"Given the current state of the world, with an ongoing energy crisis that is leading to a sharp increase in costs for both electricity and district heating and putting incredible pressure on energy companies and real estate companies, the issue of energy efficiency and power balancing becomes even more relevant," says Joacim Sundqvist, Energy Strategist at <a href="https://www.malarenergi.se/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mälarenergi</a>.</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>Connected properties create greater flexibility both for the property owner and its staff but also for us as an energy company in how we can plan our distribution over different periods of the day. I see this as a continued exciting project, especially for the coming autumn and winter when the City of Västerås and we will benefit greatly from cooperation with Mimer and Kiona.</p><cite>Joacim Sundqvist</cite></blockquote>



<p>During the energy transition and to achieve the goals of the 2030 Agenda, they are taking several strategic sustainable steps and setting their sights high. The Smart City project is part of this.</p>





<h2 id="h-successful-project">Successful project</h2>



<p>"In terms of energy, I think the results speak for themselves, but it is also interesting how other soft values such as indoor climate, reduced error reports, a more efficient way of working, monitoring, analysis, and follow-up have contributed to the internal structure in a positive way," says Eric Johansson, Energy Specialist at <a href="https://www.mimer.nu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bostads AB Mimer</a>.</p>



<p>"I see it as a very successful project for everyone involved, and it will be very interesting to build on it and look at the next steps on how we together can find further synergies within this smart city project both for the building stock and for the district heating network," he concludes.</p>



<p>"We offer technical solutions that help partners build long-term sustainable solutions in collaboration with their customers, and this is a successful example of the smart city theme, where both an energy producer and energy consumer benefit from joint solutions at each end," says Martin Eksberg, Head of Business at Kiona Sweden.&nbsp;</p>

Efficient energy use in Västerås – the smart city

So leave the birds to get chilly – waste less heat and have lower energy bills. 

Are you wasting your energy? 7 tips for lower energy bills

Ståle Eriksen

See our solutions

Explore our products and solutions for building management

<p>Warm buildings, good ventilation, hot water, immediate lighting, and great coffee – energy means a lot to us. It keeps technologies running and indoor climates pleasant, and all require power.&nbsp;</p>



<p>While experts continue to predict that energy charges will rise – it seems to leave many of us facing cloudy times in the future. Our heating systems also work a little extra as the weather gets colder. And if you're reaching summertime, our cooling systems must push a bit more.</p>



<h2 class="has-medium-font-size" id="h-good-interplay-can-slash-bills" style="font-style:normal;font-weight:700"><strong>Good interplay can slash bills</strong></h2>



<p>We must eradicate "power thieves" and keep power loads under control to <a href="https://kiona.com/products/iwmac/smart-functions/">stop the electricity bills from running wild</a>.</p>



<p>"Controlling the interplay between cooling and heating is worth its weight in gold when it comes to reducing bills, as well as controlling the related automatic systems. Control prevents money being thrown out of the window with the various sources of heating and cooling working against each other," says Ståle Eriksen, Key Account Manager at Kiona.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>He adds that many "obvious things" aren't discovered until it's too late.</p>



<p>"Monitoring systems manually requires masses of attention. The to-do list is often long. Having control of all the various systems' cloud-configured' means there is no need to worry. When it's minus 20 outside, air conditioning and cooling won't be running. Heating and snow-melting systems won't be on in the middle of summer."</p>



<h2 class="has-medium-font-size" style="font-style:normal;font-weight:700"><strong>Power tricks that work</strong></h2>



<p>Control systems use logic and fixed threshold values to interpret incoming operating data and use them to adjust temperatures, start/stop equipment and smooth out power curves. They do this primarily before we users would notice anything.</p>





<p>Implementing measures that affect costs requires timely data.</p>



<p>"We set up rules to enable all connected systems to work 'smarter.' They then optimize, streamline and proactively give notifications of adjustments that can save energy. This means direct savings on the bill," Eriksen explains.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="has-medium-font-size" style="font-style:normal;font-weight:700"><strong>Reduce energy consumption with efficient control</strong></h2>



<p>Naturally enough, the length of use and the power demanded by technical equipment affect how much energy we consume. Yet, if we are not aware of how much energy we are using, we can't know if we are underperforming or if it's possible to improve.</p>



<p>Electrical devices often present heavy power loads when they are heating. Fortunately, we do not have to run our coffee makers for long periods. Other small things can also help cut consumption. Examples include turning off unnecessary lights, heating via cooling systems' surplus heat (rather than electricity), and using some time/need/weather-report controlled ventilation.</p>



<p>"It's not just these things either. Intelligent control of installations also makes life easier for any building's technical crew. Faults can be detected sooner and time spent on more important things." "Again, without having to worry too much about the bills, energy-efficient control still gives us good, warm buildings in the middle of winter. With a little luck, we can also leave our extra sweaters in their drawers a little longer," concludes Eriksen.</p>

How can we overcome skyrocketing energy prices?

Claus Johansen

Bjarne Mølgaard

Tårnby Municipality

<p>Tårnby is a municipality of opportunity, close to the capital and the rest of the world. Creating sustainable development requires an active effort from everyone. It requires businesses, citizens, and every institution in the municipality to work efficiently.</p>



<p>They manage 236 buildings with a heated area of 231 000 m². The buildings vary from daycare centers, schools, sports facilities, libraries, and administration buildings.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-reaching-energy-targets">Reaching energy targets</h2>



<p>The cooperation between <a href="https://www.taarnby.dk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tårnby Municipality</a> and Kiona started with a dialogue with the municipalities' building management team. They needed a system to help them reach their saving targets and a solution to get a better overview of the buildings to identify poor performance and energy waste.<br>The functions in Edge matched the demands of the team, and with its easy installation, scalability, and fast roll-out, it was a natural choice.</p>



<p>Tårnby started integrating its largest buildings as the most significant saving potential can be found here (38 buildings / 180 000 m²). After achieving a reduction of 8.9% in heat consumption within the first 1.5 years, they also decided to include their smaller buildings.&nbsp;Today, they have our <a href="https://kiona.com/products/edge/">IoT platform and AI engine, Edge</a>, installed in 110 of their facilities.</p>



<p>The goal was to create a constant temperature in the buildings and lower the flow temperature, thereby reducing their heat consumption. An investment that would pay for itself.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-benefits-of-controlling-the-heat">Benefits of controlling the heat</h2>



<p>Sensors are installed on heating circuits and in the rooms so that the building management team can constantly monitor the heat - resulting in a comfortable indoor climate. Edge AI is used to understand the building's heating needs in combination with temperature, wind, sun, and rain.</p>



<p>By maintaining a constant temperature, you avoid overheating and save energy. This predictive capability is advantageous when the sun breaks out and starts heating your buildings or when there are large temperature fluctuations from day to night.</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">
<p>"The physical installation of Kiona's products is straightforward, and the system starts to optimize as soon as it is implemented."</p>
<cite>Tårnby Municipality</cite></blockquote>



<p>The project has provided greater insight into heat consumption. New data available has also improved the collaboration between technical service staff and the management team. And the system is even used to gain insight into what actions should be taken to improve the building to achieve further savings.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-creating-the-greenest-municipality"><strong>Creating the greenest municipality</strong></h2>



<p>The weather forecast management has contributed to reducing heat consumption by 8.9%, and there is still a decrease in consumption equivalent to saving 7.5 kWh / m² per year. Their target is to save 10%.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The success continues in the municipality's 74 smaller buildings, and the collaboration and effort continue to grow.&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong>See the full story from our collaboration with Tårnby: </strong></p>



<figure class="wp-block-video"><video controls src="https://marketing.kiona.com/hubfs/Video/taarnby/Ref%20case%20T%C3%A5rnby%20Kommune.mp4"><track src="https://kiona.com/app/uploads/2024/04/Refcase-Tarnby-Kommune_Long_en.vtt" label="English" srclang="en" kind="subtitles"/></video></figure>

Check out Edge

Want to know more about our self-learning AI engine?

<p>Mitra Hajigholi and Raghunath Vairamuth are data scientists focusing on machine learning and data analysis with Kiona. They have worked on several projects connected to data science, such as <a href="https://kiona.com/products/edge/peak-control/">Peak Control</a> 2.0, AI-steering, and predictive maintenance.</p>





<p>One valuable result is our control algorithm, which allows us to see how energy consumption varies at different temperatures in real-time. Previously, energy consumption was analyzed and compared based on reference year data.</p>



<h2 id="h-customer-insights">Customer insights</h2>



<p>Mitra and Raghunath's work with the platform continues. One important aspect of this is to collect relevant data based on customers' needs for information.</p>



<p>Mitra has completed several interviews to determine what data customers want to see, are interested in, and why this information is vital to them. The data generated will be used to create new Machine Learning algorithms. This will allow us to develop better, intuitive, and visual reports that can be tailored for each customer.</p>





<p>We have also collected more weather-related data points to improve our control algorithm. In this way, we can help customers identify energy peaks on a larger scale. We can also proactively warn energy companies days in advance, says Raghunath.</p>



<h2 id="h-using-data-to-increase-energy-efficiency">Using data to increase energy efficiency</h2>



<p>In addition to the above, Mitra and Raghunath are working on improving predictive maintenance. Here, the data is used to analyze the central heating performance. Advanced analysis of the amount of heat that enters and leaves the heating system makes it possible to detect leaks or deviations.</p>



<p>– We need to help customers understand the value of collecting correct data from their building portfolio and what type of data is valuable. That is when it becomes a win-win-win from an environmental, customer, and cost perspective, Mitra concludes.</p>

The minds behind the algorithms

Want to hear more about this use case?

PKP (Polish State Railways)

<p>Reduction of thermal energy consumption:</p>


<h2 id="h-saving-thermal-energy-in-historic-buildings">Saving thermal energy in historic buildings</h2>



<p>Polskie Koleje Państwowe S.A. (Polish State Railways) is one of Poland's largest real estate owners.&nbsp;Their buildings and structures mainly perform functions related to the transport and service of travelers (railway stations) and commercial real estate.</p>



<p>As many as 200 railway stations have been modernized in recent years, but over 3&nbsp;000 beautiful, old buildings remain. These are declared worthy of protection. </p>



<p>The headquarter of the Polish State Railways also belongs to this category.<br>Due to its historical character and conservator's supervision, the building cannot be thermo-modernized, which results in a big challenge related to energy costs and maintaining thermal comfort.</p>



<p>The headquarter consist of an area of 16&nbsp;000 m², located in the city center, in the historical building of the former Railway Directorate of Gdańsk.</p>



<p>For the past 3 years, <a href="https://kiona.com/products/edge/">Edge's cloud service</a> has helped with this task. Considering future external and internal conditions like temperature, humidity, solar energy, wind strength, and direction, Edge can be used to estimate the exact amount of energy required to maintain the desired temperature. The whole process is analyzed and optimized continuously by artificial intelligence algorithms adjusting the controller of the thermal center.</p>



<p>Installation is fast and straightforward. The whole process takes a few hours. The devices communicate by radio, based on wireless M-BUS protocol, and the batteries last up to 10 years.</p>

Polish State Railways

Christian Grotkopp

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Berlinovo Apartment GmbH

<p>Every year, we present the Sustainable City Award to customers who have achieved outstanding savings. This requires active and planned management and a thorough commitment to meeting energy targets.</p>



<p>For Berlinovo, the path to efficient and environmentally friendly buildings has been a long-term focus. In addition to the optimization by <a href="https://kiona.com/products/edge/">Edge</a>, Berlinovo regularly works with the energy data to ensure ongoing improvement.</p>



<p>All these factors come together in our project with Berlinovo Apartment GmbH, the latest recipient of the Sustainable City Award (2021). Within just one year, over one million kilograms of CO<sub>2</sub> were saved.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://kiona.com/app/uploads/2022/06/Berlinovo-sustainable-city-award-1024x576.jpg" alt="Constanze Dühring and Ute Rüße (right in the photo) receive the Sustainable City Award from Eva-Maria Metz and Janot Dohrmann (Kiona)." class="wp-image-9038"/><figcaption>Photo: Constanze Dühring and Ute Rüße (right in the photo) receive the Sustainable City Award from Eva-Maria Metz and Janot Dohrmann (Kiona)</figcaption></figure>



<p>The supervising Kiona energy expert, Janot Dohrmann, confirms:&nbsp;<em>"Berlinovo is working in an exemplary manner to increase the efficiency of its properties without losing sight of the concerns and comfort needs of the tenants. This project shows how ecological and social factors can be reconciled. And last but not least, it pays off financially."</em></p>





<h2 id="h-the-starting-point">The starting point</h2>



<p>Berlinovo Apartment GmbH manages approximately 6 500 furnished apartments in 31 residential complexes in Berlin. With almost fifty years of experience, the company is the market leader in the temporary-living segment in Berlin. But they faced the challenge of connecting different types of systems and collecting missing data from their properties.</p>



<p>The properties are heated partly with gas and partly with district heating via one-pipe and two-pipe systems. Tenant complaints could not be verified before the project began, resulting in high administrative expenses due to on-site visits.</p>



<p>Therefore, the project's objective was not only to realize savings through the algorithm but also to establish an energy management system that could be handled by the management team.</p>



<h2 id="h-installing-edge">Installing Edge</h2>



<p>With these data and objectives, the necessary sensor equipment was decided.</p>



<p>In the case of Berlinovo, 685 room sensors were installed in 30 buildings to measure temperature and relative humidity. Because the room sensors are wireless and easily installed inside an apartment, the customer was able to install them themselves, with telephone support from Kiona. The sensors on the heating circuits and the outdoor temperature sensors/data gateways (Edge Hub)were installed by a local installer.</p>



<h2 id="h-energy-management-up-and-running-in-six-weeks">Energy management "up and running" in six weeks</h2>



<p>Within a short time, all buildings were online. The customer portal was set up with the data now available. Special attention was paid to the system's structure, and navigation setup according to the heating type. This makes it possible to quickly compare the consumption values within the respective group.</p>



<p>In addition to evaluating consumption and CO<sub>2</sub> emissions, an alarm was set up for room temperatures that dropped too low.</p>



<p>Berlinovo's energy management is supported by Kiona with annual energy analysis. Continuous savings potentials are generated by the algorithm. Thus, a large part of the portfolio can be left to self-learning optimization.</p>



<h2 id="h-results-and-outlook">Results and outlook</h2>



<p>Since the start of the project, the heating energy requirement has been reduced by an average of 19.8 kWh/m² across all properties compared with the reference year 2018. At the same time, over 1 million kg less CO<sub>2</sub> has been emitted to date. These figures are based on measured and weather-cleaned consumption values.</p>



<p>But the optimization path does not end here. Climate-neutral buildings involve a series of measures that must be planned and monitored. The Energy Target module is designed for this purpose: Based on the recorded consumption data, the path to climate neutrality is simulated via measures inside Edge. This way, it can be explicitly determined which action can be used to achieve the necessary CO<sub>2</sub> reduction.</p>

<p>Terhi Toppinen-Häyrinen, Property Manager, develops the energy efficiency at Settlement Apartments Ltd with Kiona. Edge is quick and easy, she says.</p>



<p>"It's all gonna work out." Five little words. That's Terhi Toppinen-Häyrinen's motto and a great source of energy.</p>



<p>"Even when it seems impossible, I still believe that everything will work out fine," she says. "I don't give up, and I get satisfaction when something is progressing."</p>



<p>Terhi Toppinen-Häyrinen longed for order when she started as property manager of Settlement Apartments Ltd eight years ago. Settlement Apartments Ltd is a developer of communities, providing various housing services. The company's properties were new, high-quality houses built in the 2000s, with a construction method and technical performance that seemed above the average Finnish standard. However, they were unique specimens. It was challenging to manage the whole because there was no structure.</p>



<p>"I thought, 'I've got some interesting work ahead.' At that time, you couldn't talk about the mass of the property, the whole. The houses had a life of their own."</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-optimised-heating-led-to-big-savings">Optimised heating led to big savings</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://kiona.com/app/uploads/2022/06/blog_understanding_paves_the_way_for_order_settlement_apartments_1240x698_1_1024x576_1x.webp" alt="Settlement apartments" class="wp-image-57087" style="object-fit:cover"/></figure>



<p>Toppinen-Häyrinen saw that the Settlement Houses needed an energy management system. It would help improve their buildings' energy use and conditions, optimise energy efficiency, and anticipate problems.</p>



<p>Some research led to the implementation of the <a href="https://kiona.com/products/edge/">cloud-based Edge system</a>. Using IoT technology, Edge connects all the devices in the buildings, collects data, and intelligently controls the systems based on weather forecasts and a chosen strategy.</p>





<p>In 2021, the 17 properties of the Settlement Houses managed to cut their energy consumption by 1502 MWh, which is about 13% of the total consumption of these properties.</p>



<p>The megawatt-hours saved in one year are equivalent to the heating costs of about fifty single-family homes using a heat pump. This is a good result for houses built mainly in the 2010s, with no significant investment in the existing heating technology.</p>



<p>Saving energy has not been an end goal in itself, but the objective has been optimising energy consumption and creating suitable conditions.</p>



<p>"This was our first properly optimized heating season," says Terhi Toppinen-Häyrinen.</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">
<p>"We've got the setpoints very well aligned. Edge serves us well because it is easy to use and allows us to react quickly to different situations. I also think connectivity is a big plus. The integrations are successful beyond paper."</p>
</blockquote>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Beyond the walls</h2>



<p>Today, over 5,500 buildings in eleven European countries are connected to the Edge platform. The company's properties have a total surface area of 53,000 m<sup>2</sup> and 1,365 apartments. The majority of the houses are located in the metropolitan area. There are two properties in Tampere and Turku and one in Hyvinkää and Joensuu.</p>



<p>The Settlement Houses are rental dwellings open to all, with residents enjoying exceptionally high quality and well-equipped common areas.</p>



<p>"We offer our residents not only walls and a roof but also a great living environment," says Terhi Toppinen-Häyrinen.</p>



<p>"Our job is to create a better resident experience for them. We work for them and not the other way around."</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-balanced-heating-more-important-than-a-quick-win-nbsp">Balanced heating more important than a quick win&nbsp;</h2>



<p>The values of settlement housing are community, economy, and ecology. The company aims to develop a sense of community both within the houses and across the block. Its CEO is Heli Kotilainen, who has previously worked at Granlund as a division director and head of the <a href="https://figbc.fi/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Green Building Council Finland</a>.</p>



<p>One of the tools for a better resident experience is the production of real estate services. According to Toppinen-Häyrinen, they have also decided to take some previously outsourced services in-house.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://kiona.com/app/uploads/2022/06/blog_understanding_paves_the_way_for_order_terhi_toppinen_ha_yrinen_1240x698_1_1024x576_1x.webp" alt="Understanding energy efficiency paves the way for order" class="wp-image-57095"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Terhi Toppinen Häyrinen, Property Manager at Settlement Apartments Ltd</figcaption></figure>



<p>"How do you put it nicely? We chose a new direction because the current model didn't meet our quality service expectations. I am very excited about this change."</p>



<p>Energy efficiency is also being improved for the benefit of residents. As a result, temperatures in the settlement houses may be slightly higher than those where energy consumption has been pushed down at the expense of comfort. However, Terhi Toppinen-Häyrinen prefers balanced, moderate development to aggressive changes.</p>



<p>"The result looks good. We have learned a lot and are moving towards our goals. With Kiona and Edge, we have order, understanding, and a system that is developing strongly and visibly. I really like that kind of style."</p>

Understanding energy efficiency paves the way for order

Want to hear more about this project?

Looking to make energy savings in your buildings?

Rosengård Fastighets AB

We were looking to add some form of smart energy management to our portfolio as an essential part of our strategy in the future. We also think it's very timely to have flexible and open systems that allow a service to be customized around the customer and with AI driving energy use. When Kiona presented such a solution, made possible through integration to Web Port and integrations to our other technical systems, which will also be both smart and cost-effective, we found it interesting to investigate. And then it happened quickly. From an initial meeting, reference visits, and technical discussions, already being up and running feels positive.

jens-ringo

Fastighetschef, Rosengård Fastighets AB

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-flexible-integrations-for-a-tailored-customer-experience">Flexible integrations for a tailored customer experience</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.rosengardfastigheter.se/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rosengård Fastighets AB</a> is a private real estate company in Malmö. The company was founded in 2017 and owned in equal parts by the private actors Fastighets AB Balder, Heimstaden, Victoriahem and MKB Fastighets AB. All of whom have extensive experience and a solid commitment to sustainability and community development.</p>



<p>The cooperation aims to use the cloud service <a href="https://kiona.com/products/edge/">Edge (AI)</a> for sustainability optimization through reduced energy use and decreased CO2 emissions, perfectly in line with Malmö City's environmental program 2021-2030.</p>



<p>Kiona's AI service is directly implemented on the entire Rosengård property stock of approximately 140,000 m². This is made possible through software integrations with several partners, including Kiona's SCADA system <a href="https://kiona.com/products/web-port/">Web Port</a>, already installed in about 30 properties. The advanced, self-learning control algorithms are implemented entirely through the software and into existing equipment to optimize energy use. The integration is bi-directional, meaning that on the other side, existing 3rd party systems for indoor metering, energy statistics, and power control functions connect to the analytics platform Edge.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://kiona.com/app/uploads/2022/05/MGL1502-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-7704"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Örtagården, Rosengård, Malmö November 2017. By Miriam Preis.</figcaption></figure>



<p><strong>See the full story from our collaboration with Rosengård: </strong></p>



<figure class="wp-block-video"><video controls src="https://marketing.kiona.com/hubfs/Marketing/Video/Rosengaard/Roseng%20_EdgeAi__NyNamn_LowRes.mp4"><track src="https://kiona.com/app/uploads/2022/05/EdgeAi_Text-ENG.vtt" label="English" srclang="en" kind="subtitles"/><track src="https://kiona.com/app/uploads/2022/05/EdgeAi_Text-SV.vtt" label="Svensk" srclang="sv" kind="subtitles"/><track src="https://kiona.com/app/uploads/2022/05/EdgeAi_Text-PL.vtt" label="Polska" srclang="pl" kind="subtitles"/><track src="https://kiona.com/app/uploads/2022/05/EdgeAi_Text-NO.vtt" label="Norsk" srclang="no" kind="subtitles"/><track src="https://kiona.com/app/uploads/2022/05/EdgeAi_Text-FI.vtt" label="Suomi" srclang="fi" kind="subtitles"/><track src="https://kiona.com/app/uploads/2022/05/EdgeAi_Text-DE.vtt" label="Deutch" srclang="de" kind="subtitles"/><track src="https://kiona.com/app/uploads/2022/05/EdgeAi_Text-DA.vtt" label="Dansk" srclang="da" kind="subtitles"/></video></figure>