Swedish innovator reduces energy requirement by 80%
− IVA and SWECO Theorells reward energy-saving building contractor The year’s Swedish Energy Prize goes to Tomas Hallén, Technical Director at Akademiska Hus in Gothenburg, whose solution makes it possible to heat, cool and treat the air in properties using only one fifth of the normal energy consumption. This has been shown to reduce the total energy cost by around SEK 100 per square meter and year.
Tomas Hallén is the driving force behind several energy initiatives at Akademiska Hus, such as technical solutions utilising a ground energy storage system. This technology significantly reduces the amount of energy needed to heat and cool modern offices and laboratories and is being used in several of Akademiska Hus’s facilities, including the Department of Astronomy at Lund University and Akademikum at Gothenburg University. Additional facilities are under construction. “Our technical solutions for energy production and optimisation offer excellent economy and a good indoor climate. Akademiska Hus is a property owner that promotes innovation and creativity by investing large sums in technological development,” says prize-winner Tomas Hallén. “Housing and commercial space account for 40 per cent of Sweden’s total energy usage. In view of the huge potential for savings and environmental gains in this sector, we need more forward-looking property developers like Akademiska Hus that have the courage to invest in efficient systems that reduce energy consumption,” says Åsa Söderström Jerring, Managing Director of SWECO Theorells. Stig Jahnsson in Eksjö earned honourable mention for his commitment to energy and quality issues primarily in the small buildings sector. Among other things, Stig Jahnsson’s efforts have led to the development of standard buildings with low energy requirements. He has also laid the foundation for the current energy certification of small buildings. The Swedish Energy Prize is awarded to companies and organisations that make a particularly valuable contribution to energy conservation. The prize is being awarded for the 22nd consecutive year.
