Never has so much work been put into building energy-efficient properties as today. New materials, new technology, improved insulation, more efficient heating and increased knowledge contribute to values to be proud of.
What is often missed, however, is to reduce energy consumption during the construction process itself. Many studies have been done that unanimously show that electricity consumption, during this phase, could be reduced by 20-30%. The report Energy-efficient construction sites¹ presents statistics from Statistics Sweden which show that the construction sector, in 2004, consumed 747,400 MWh of electricity.
Modern technology makes it possible to reduce electricity use by about 40%, which means that there is a potential for savings of about SEK 200 million annually for the construction industry. Figures including Vasakronan taken seriously – now it’s time to go from theory to practice !!
Traditionally, different types of ventilation and / or heating of the air are often used during the construction process. This is because you want to drive the moisture out of the building materials but also to keep the relative moisture level (RH) below 60% in the building. Ventilation and heating during the construction process is costly, not least considering that a lot of energy also leaves the building.
Airwatergreen is currently involved in three different projects where the purpose is to reduce energy consumption but also to shorten the construction time. One of the projects is Vasakronan’s property Celsius in Uppsala. Here you can determine a significant reduction in energy consumption but also an improved climate in the building during the project.
Among other things, it is Airwatergreen’s dehumidifiers that you have to thank for the significant savings you have made. Here, a new Swedish patented technology is used which means that the dehumidifier needs half as much energy compared to competing technology.
The dehumidifier is also equally effective at all temperatures, even low, which allows for reduced heating. The water is taken out of the air at the machine, which means that you do not need to ventilate any air out of the building. All supplied energy thus stays in the building, which means that the dehumidifier is very energy efficient.
“We are positively surprised and very pleased with the reduction we can see in terms of heating costs. We have also had a pleasant indoor climate throughout the project,” says Anders Boström, project manager at Vasakronan. “The heating we have had to use comes from district heating and it has been lower than we expected,” Anders continues. “In the next project we will use dehumidifiers, just like in Celsius, but we will lower the indoor temperature a few degrees. This will mean that we reduce costs further…“
“It is extremely fun and exciting to be able to contribute to reduced energy consumption even during the construction process,” says Bo Tiderman, CEO of Airwatergreen. “Our dehumidifiers have previously made it possible to reduce heating costs and energy consumption for a large number of property owners. This will be another area where we can contribute to achieving our common climate goals!“
For further information, feel free to contact
Bo Tiderman Tel 070-581 82 72 bo.tiderman@airwatergreen.com
¹ SBUF 12416 Final report Energy Efficient Construction Workplaces, Gothenburg 2013