EcoSmart helps meet saving targets in life-cycle construction
Using intelligent forecasting systems, construction companies can take on a decades-long responsibility for the property. For NCC, the Fidelix EcoSmart solution proved to be an excellent tool to achieve cities’ strict energy saving and indoor air quality targets in schools that use the life-cycle model.
At life-cycle sites, we will be responsible, for example, for the maintenance and energy efficiency of the school property for 20-25 years once the contract has been signed. The municipality can simply use the school and be confident that indoor conditions and energy consumption of the premises will remain at the agreed level, says Jarmo Kallio, Automation Expert at NCC
Life-cycle construction, is rapidly becoming more common, for example, in schools. NCC provides life-cycle service to more than 10 schools in Espoo, Oulu and Mäntsälä.
“The solution is safe for the municipality but requires that the construction company has effective tools for optimizing and monitoring the property. The requirements are very challenging, and the building systems must also be able to respond to changes in energy consumption, temperature and carbon dioxide levels.”
EcoSmart has saved costs
NCC optimizes the environment of most of its life-cycle schools using Fidelix EcoSmart.
“The municipality is above all interested in energy consumption and indoor air quality. Energy cannot be saved at the cost of the indoor conditions and therefore it is essential to monitor and optimize both. EcoSmart has been an excellent tool here,” Kallio sums up.
With EcoSmart, NCC has been able both to save money and help municipalities in achieving their larger energy goals.
Municipalities have strict carbon neutrality targets and the aim is to reduce the energy consumption of buildings as well. We need clear indicators to show whether savings are being achieved.
Optimal heat consumption
On average, schools that use the life-cycle model have achieved a saving of approximately 7% in the consumption of thermal energy. However, for example, schools in Espoonlahti and Karakallio have saved about 20%.
The effectiveness of the EcoSmart system is based on predicting changes in the indoor and outdoor conditions and responding to needs: the system intelligently and proactively adjusts the property’s heating and air-conditioning based on weather forecasts, indoor temperature and CO2 values. This ensures that energy consumption is always optimal,” says Ari Laatikainen, Energy Expert at Fidelix.
According to Kallio, the best thing about an intelligent, mathematical model-based system is its ease of use.
EcoSmart that runs in the background and needs very little attention. In the autumn, the settings have had to be slightly adjusted, but otherwise it was possible to monitor how the targets are achieved through reports alone.