Straand Hotel has reduced energy consumption by 200 MWh

– We are very pleased with the measures we have taken so far and the results we have achieved. Compared to before, we now have much better control over our own energy use, which reduces costs but also creates a better experience for our guests, says fifth-generation hotelier Lars Arne Straand.

161 years of hotel history
Together with his wife Katrine, he runs Straand Hotel in Telemark. The hotel was established by his great-great-grandfather in 1864 and has since been passed down from father to son.
– My great-great-grandfather was originally supposed to travel to the USA, but he swapped his boat ticket for a horse. He then settled in beautiful Vrådal in Telemark, where he established a coaching inn based on a croft. That was the beginning of what is today a 161-year hotel history, says Straand.
The youngest generation of Straands took over responsibility for operations in 2019, which meant dealing with COVID the year after becoming director. The combination of low occupancy and high electricity prices meant that in 2023 he decided to take action.
– We are part of De Historiske Hotels. Sundvolden Hotel is part of the same cluster and we were very inspired by hearing what they had achieved. We therefore wanted to find out what was possible for us, says Straand.
Both hosts are engineers – he in IT and she in construction.
– So we also have a professional interest in this that comes in very handy, says Straand.

Cooling and heating simultaneously
No sooner said than done. In 2023 Straand contacted Energy Control, and Tommy Hagenes took his family along on a working holiday to the hotel. The hotel is idyllically situated with views over the lake Nisser, in the heart of beautiful Telemark. The hotel has 125 rooms, a large conference hall and a lovely swimming pool, to name just a few of its features.
– We started by installing sensors to gather insight. One of the things we discovered was that one of the ventilation units was both cooling and heating at the same time. That was obviously not entirely optimal, laughs Straand.
After gathering insight, the hotel has made a series of discoveries, which have then been followed up with a range of measures in prioritised order. Among other things, ventilation units have been upgraded for demand control, and all damper motors have been replaced with new controls, giving us a fully modern system.
– With simple measures we have achieved demand-controlled units. The upgrades have been cost-effective compared to replacing the entire ventilation system, says Straand.

Saving energy – every day
The result of the work done so far is that Straand Hotel is now saving energy every day. Compared to 2023 – the year when the work began – energy use so far this year has been reduced by 230 MWh. In monetary terms this means savings of between 250,000 and 300,000 kroner – every year.
– This is a reduction of 22–25 percent, which we see on our invoices. It is also important to note that we still have potential to save more. We have several plans for further upgrades, says Straand.
Among what is on the agenda going forward is control of heating cables in the conference section and in the hotel rooms. Straand also wants data from the hotel's solar panel installation, as well as from the heat pumps used to heat both the pool and hot water.
– It's about keeping track of whether systems are working as they should and detecting any faults – but above all about saving further energy, says Straand.

Ensuring good working conditions
The work also involves monitoring various parameters that affect the working environment.
– The sensors measure air quality, light conditions and noise, which makes it possible for us to monitor several factors that are important for a good indoor climate and environment, says Straand.
He praises the collaboration with Energy Control and says they are continuously followed up by the company's advisers.
– It involves both practical matters related to day-to-day operations, but also upgrades to the hotel, the EC Go app and the company's dashboard. We have received all the help we could ask for and more. We also contribute to the company's innovation work and in many ways see ourselves as an innovation partner. We think that's great, says Straand.

Age is no obstacle
Tommy Hagenes at Energy Control says the hotel is a shining example of what is possible to achieve, even in old buildings. 
– Old buildings often have significant potential for energy optimisation. The challenge has been that such optimisation requires structural interventions, which has been costly but also difficult. New technology solves this, as it is both wireless and significantly cheaper than traditional solutions. We therefore achieve very good results with relatively small investments, says Hagenes. 
He therefore looks forward to continuing the work with Straand Hotel. 
– The collaboration with Straand is excellent. They have a burning professional interest in both buildings and energy optimisation. For us they are therefore also an important sparring partner who contributes to the further development of our solutions, says Hagenes.