Significant Savings in District Heating Consumption with EcoSmart
Osuuskauppa Hämeenmaa sought to test whether Fidelix’s EcoSmart service could enhance energy efficiency in their properties and achieve additional savings.
The results were surprising: district heating consumption at Prisma Holma dropped by as much as 17 percent.
In a large retail property like Prisma, energy consumption can easily amount to thousands of megawatt-hours annually. The largest consumers are refrigeration equipment and heating. By integrating these systems and using waste heat from refrigeration for heating, significant savings in heating costs can be achieved.
Energy efficiency goals in the retail sector, which Hämeenmaa has also committed to, require constant identification of new savings opportunities.
“District heating, in particular, has been a challenge because most district heating companies do not provide carbon-neutral heat for 100 percent of demand. We became interested in EcoSmart to see if it could help us optimize waste heat recovery and usage for heating while further reducing district heating consumption,” explains Hannu Tauriainen, Technical Property Manager at Hämeenmaan Kiinteistöt Oy.
A Learning System Enables Proactive Optimization
Tauriainen describes the machine room of a large store as being so packed with technology that evaluating the functionality of the entire system requires specialized expertise. Previously, building technology was the responsibility of the property owner, while refrigeration systems belonged to the retailer. Today, enhancing energy efficiency demands collaboration with a comprehensive understanding of the system.
“Additional savings come from how optimally everything works together. This is where artificial intelligence and data-driven, predictive services such as EcoSmart offer opportunities,” Tauriainen says.
For example, he highlights peak demand periods for refrigeration systems.
“At Prisma Holma, the busiest customer traffic occurs on weekdays between 5 PM and 7 PM.During this time, refrigerator doors are open more often than closed, and systems operate at full capacity. As a result, significant amounts of waste heat are generated. The better the system can predict and utilize this temporary surge in waste heat, the more efficient it becomes.”
Driving Major Impact Through Minor Tweaks
EcoSmart has been optimizing the use of heating energy at Prisma Holma since May 2023. During its first year, it managed to cut district heating demand by up to 17 percent.
“All the data shows a clear improvement. Prisma Holma has had consistent indoor conditions throughout the year, with no changes to the equipment. We haven’t found any explanation for the savings other than EcoSmart’s intelligent system management.”
Based on these positive experiences, Osuuskauppa Hämeenmaa plans to implement the EcoSmart service at its ABC service station as well.
“We have to keep making improvements because costs are rising, and consumption needs to decrease. Predictive services such as EcoSmart, which optimize system usage, are the small streams that can lead to significant benefits,” Tauriainen concludes.