From Dinosaur to Trendsetter in Just a Few Months

– We are now in the process of installing smart IoT sensors in all our commercial buildings, says Ove Sognnes.

Reduced energy use
He is CEO of Sognnes Eiendom, a company he owns together with his brother Jarle. They are a medium-sized property operator with 55,000 square metres of building stock, mainly located in Bergen.
– We have long been looking for a solution that increases the quality of our premises while also reducing energy consumption, says Sognnes.
Just a few months ago they therefore contacted Energy Control, and since then the Sognnes brothers have been on the technology train.
– The explanation is very simple — the sensors and EC Dashboard give us full control over energy use in our buildings. Energy Control thus filled the "gap" we had been looking for, at a price that was almost too good to be true, says Sognnes.
He explains that in one of the buildings they discovered a compressor that was running non-stop without the tenant being aware of it.
– Just by gaining control of this, we reduced the tenant's electricity bill by approximately 150,000 kroner per year, says Sognnes.

A duty
In just a few months they have installed sensors in six of their eight buildings and have started to gain control over both indoor climate and energy use.
– What we have done so far is to harvest the low-hanging fruit. We have identified the energy peaks and taken the simple steps to reduce energy use. This means our buildings are in the process of becoming demand-controlled rather than time-controlled, says Sognnes.
He believes this is not just something they as property operators should do for their own benefit, but to help their tenants reduce their energy use.
– For some tenants, electricity costs are a significant expense that is crucial for healthy business operations. As a building owner we therefore feel a duty to take steps that contribute positively, says Sognnes.

Aiming higher
The company is not stopping at the low-hanging fruit and is already in the process of taking the step towards measures that require larger investments.
– We will also invest in solar panels, and on the roofs of our buildings in Åsane we are planning to install approximately 10,000 square metres, says Sognnes.
He explains that they are also looking at renovating ventilation systems, replacing old light fittings with smart ones, and replacing older heaters with new ones that can be managed via WiFi.
– In total, we are talking about investments of approximately 15 million kroner. The sensors are only a small fraction of this, but it was the conversation and the solution that Energy Control and Tommy can deliver, combined with high electricity prices, that made it possible for us to overhaul all our operations with increased focus on energy efficiency. Having centralised control and monitoring of all our buildings via EC Dashboard is the key role in the energy-efficient management of our buildings, says Sognnes.

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