Using the Entire Smart Toolbox

– We have set ourselves ambitious goals. We own many fine and venerable buildings in central Bergen, but the reality is that several of the buildings have not been particularly smart or energy-efficient. That is something we are now working to change, says Head of Marketing and Sustainability at Vestenfjeldske Eiendom, Hilde Skaar. 

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Set to give the portfolio a boost

Vestenfjeldske Eiendom is owned by Reitan Eiendom. In Bergen, the company currently owns close to 30 properties, most of them in the city centre. Together the portfolio counts around 70,000 square metres, making Vestenfjeldske a significant property operator in Bergen. 

– We are now going through the portfolio and, together with our advisors, assessing which measures will be most appropriate. The overarching goal is of course to give all buildings a significant boost in a sustainable direction, says Skaar. 

Among the steps the company has taken so far is 3D-scanning many of their buildings. This gives them a "dollhouse model" of the building, which they can use both in their letting work and, not least, as a tool in the work of making the buildings smarter. 

– A 3D scan is often the first step in mapping a building, says Tommy Hagenes at Energy Control, one of Vestenfjeldske Eiendom’s key partners.

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Taking control of the buildings

The next step has been to install sensors in the buildings. In the first phase, the sensors are used to analyse and get to know the building better — what is the indoor climate like, how much energy does it use, and so on. 

Vestenfjeldske Eiendom’s buildings are at slightly different stages. Some are to receive minor upgrades, while others face significant renovation processes. How they use the sensors and 3D scans therefore varies a little from building to building, but in the buildings that are being used as they are, the sensors are used to give the company control over indoor climate and energy use. 

– By installing sensors in our buildings, we have strengthened our ability to control and optimise energy consumption. The sensors are combined with the 3D scans, so that we can easily monitor the buildings via a digital dashboard, says Skaar. 

Vestenfjeldske Eiendom monitors the buildings’ technical systems, giving them continuous control to ensure the technical systems are functioning as they should. 

– This work is an ongoing process, but so far we have installed sensors in 7 of our buildings. The results are very promising, she says. 

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Has become self-managing

In some of the buildings, Vestenfjeldske has even gone a step further. There, the sensors have taken control of the buildings and made them self-managing. 

– Instead of managing the buildings purely on a calendar basis, some of them are now managed according to demand. For example, the ventilation automatically adjusts down when there are no people in the premises and back up again when the sensors detect that people are present, says Skaar. 

This also means that ventilation automatically adjusts down on "sandwiched" public holidays — days that would not be captured by normal calendar-based management. 

Speaking of "captured" — this autumn Vestenfjeldske, together with Energy Control, participated in the Catch the Energy Thieves campaign. At V39, a modern office building in Vaskerelven, they managed with simple measures to save a full 65,000 kWh — equivalent to the electricity consumption of six apartment flats over an entire year. 

– That told us that even in modern office buildings there is a significant energy potential, says Skaar. 

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– Has embraced the possibilities of technology

In two of Vestenfjeldske Eiendom’s projects, 3D scans and sensors are now being used in the work on two upcoming renovation processes, Eldoradogården and Casperkvartalet. 

– The 3D scan is being used in the planning work for the renovation process, while at the same time the buildings are being equipped with smart sensors and solutions from day one. These two projects show in earnest how new technology can be used both in the process and in future operations. Existing buildings can become best in class both in terms of indoor climate and energy consumption, says Tommy Hagenes. 

He explains that Vestenfjeldske Eiendom has truly embraced and understood the potential in adopting new technology. 

– They use the technology for gaining insight, in planning and in the management of their buildings. They are one of the property operators that embraces the opportunities technology represents. It is very exciting to be part of this journey, says Hagenes. 

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