– Now even more BMS systems can be scrapped

– This means the BMS for heat plants can also be scrapped, says Hagenes.

Has become redundant
Two years ago Energy Control announced that the BMS for ventilation systems and room control could be thrown away. Now the time has come for the BMS for heat plants.

– Until now, dedicated sub-controllers and a lot of logic have been required to pull real-time data from energy valves up to the cloud. The new integration between EC and Belimo's smart valves means the valve now automatically communicates with the cloud. This means the heat plant can now be controlled using only smart components, and the BMS has once again become redundant, says Hagenes.

– Unlocking the valve's potential
Espen Fanøy Salo at Belimo explains that the company's energy valve retrieves a large range of data, but that this is not always exploited in existing systems.
– The new integration with Energy Control retrieves all data from the energy valve and thereby makes the heat plant smart overnight. The integration thus unlocks the potential that lies in the valve, says Fanøy Salo.

He also says that as a supplier they are fundamentally only concerned with developing the best possible products. This means, among other things, valves that measure energy, error messages if there is too much air in the water, the amount of glycol and logic that shows whether the system is operating in a saturation zone where it runs inefficiently, to name a few.

– The valve can be used in all heat plants, and with the new integration all heat plants can become smart overnight, says Fanøy Salo.

Using it across the entire hotel
One person who has adopted the new integration is Tord Moe Laeskogen at Sundvolden hotel.
– We are now using the new integration across our entire cooling system. We are focused on good data, and this gives us immediate access to real-time data from the heat plant. Based on this we have found faults and deficiencies that have had a rapid effect and reduced energy use, says Laeskogen.

Eivind Bengtson at the company Amtek has also adopted the solution in a major renovation project.
– When we heard about the solution, we had a project underway where we were going to replace a heat plant from an electric boiler to district heating. The situation was that the BMS was due for replacement. The choice was either to continue working with what was already there, or to think completely differently. We went for the new energy valve, says Bengtson.

The contractor on the project in question is one of the largest plumbing companies on the west coast of Norway, Vestrheim, which now uses the solution in many of its renovation projects.

– The valve does what several technical components do today. The integration with Energy Control means you now get all the data out of the valve, directly into the cloud, without needing any form of BMS, says Harald Aakre at Vestrheim.
– This means a large number of components become redundant. I am also convinced that the future maintenance costs resulting from the new solution will be significantly lower, says Aakre.

He gets support from Bengtson, who believes the solution significantly reduces the number of potential error sources and interfaces.
– And that is perhaps the most important thing of all. The solution simplifies and reduces the risk of misuse of the heat plant, says Bengtson.

Giving buildings new life
Another player adopting the solution is Vestenfjeldske Eiendom. They are now incorporating the solution and integration into both Eldoradogården and Castbergkvartalet.

– We find that the solution makes projects simpler and less complex. For us there was therefore no doubt about whether to go for this solution, says project manager, Jan Einar Åsbakk.

Hagenes at Energy Control explains that the advantage of the solution is that all buildings can quickly be connected.
– This means all buildings can be made smart and more energy efficient, while avoiding today's "technology chaos" in the basement. For Energy Control this is an important part of our work to give existing buildings an extended life, without it costing landlords a fortune. The solution costs between 10 and 20 percent of what a standard BMS solution would cost, and gives operations staff at least as good, but probably better control over their own building, he says.

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