The Most for the Least

The Norwegian Public Roads Administration has reduced energy use by 42 percent

The Norwegian Public Roads Administration in Voss has taken small energy measures, but made major savings. In just a few weeks, they reduced energy use in one of their properties in Voss by as much as 42 percent.

– We are running a pilot project in which we are looking at energy use in our buildings in Voss. In one of our buildings, we have so far achieved an energy reduction of 42 percent compared to last year, says John Audun Jensen at the Norwegian Public Roads Administration in Voss.

Where to start?

The Norwegian Public Roads Administration is a significant property owner, with buildings and stations across the country. With rising energy prices, operating costs are increasing, and it is therefore essential for the Norwegian Public Roads Administration to reduce consumption where possible. The question they asked themselves was naturally where to begin. The first thing they did was contact Energy Control.

– I had been in touch with Tommy about 3D scanning before, and he had spoken about the potential for energy optimisation. It was therefore natural that we contacted him, says FDVU technical manager at the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, Martin Sæther.

Weeding out fault after fault

With Tommy on board, sensors quickly came into play and within a few days they agreed to launch a pilot project on the Roads Administration’s two buildings in Voss. The buildings were 3D scanned and sensors were set up at strategic locations, then uploaded to EC Dashboard, the toolbox for smart property management.

– When we went into EC Dashboard, we quickly discovered a number of faults. The ventilation system was running at too high an intensity and for too long, the heating was set to too high a temperature, and heating cables both inside and outside were on all the time, says Jensen. As faults were weeded out, energy use dropped, and in one of the buildings they have now achieved a reduction of as much as 42 percent. In the other building, the reduction is 30 percent.

– We have achieved this in just a few months. We hope and believe that when we have optimised our buildings and winter arrives, the savings will be even greater, says Jensen, who emphasises that the measures they have taken in practice cost them nothing more than the time they have spent and the sensors they have purchased.

– These are truly low-hanging fruit, says Jensen.

The most for the least

For the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, the pilot project is about finding out which measures deliver the best energy effect in the shortest possible time and for the least money.

– This is a top priority for us, so the pilot project in Voss is important. It is about raising awareness around energy and our responsibility as a major property owner. What we learn from the pilot project in Voss we will therefore take with us and look at how we can implement it in other buildings, says Sæther. He explains that energy is just one of the areas where they envisage significant savings. The 3D scanning is also important.

– Many of our buildings are spread out, which means a lot of driving to and from them. The 3D scanning of the buildings is therefore a useful tool that reduces travel, says Sæther.

Reduced travel time

Jensen explains that he has scanned seven or eight of the buildings he is responsible for, including one located at Haugastøl.

– It takes me two hours to get there and two hours back. A trip to Haugastøl therefore practically means a full day’s work. When I recently needed a contractor to inspect the building, we simply used the 3D scan while sitting in our respective offices. He just took the tour in the 3D model and found out what he needed that way. Previously this would have taken me a full day; now I could send him the model and the whole thing was done in an hour, says Jensen. He explains that this is something they will be doing much more of, and he is now going around scanning buildings in both Stavanger and Skien.

– This is an incredibly effective tool that significantly reduces travel time, says Jensen.

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