Algeno signs agreement with ÖrebroBostäder

Algeno has signed an agreement with ÖrebroBostäder (ÖBO). Under the agreement, ÖrebroBostäder will achieve more efficient use of district heating in 300 of the property company’s 400 heating plants.‍

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“In the long term, we will implement this across our entire portfolio. This will provide significant business and environmental benefits. “And it will improve living comfort for tenants with more consistent temperatures,” says Jonas Tannerstad, Head of Electrical and Automation at ÖBO.

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Thanks to the agreement between Algeno and ÖBO, the real estate company will be able to use Algeno’s service and interface for heating control in the properties’ sub-heating plants, enabling ÖBO to optimize operations on its own terms.

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The collaboration between ÖBO and Algeno’s founders began as early as 2016 when ÖBO approached a research group at the Fraunhofer-Chalmers Centre.

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“It turned out to be an incredibly fruitful collaboration, where we’ve learned a lot and the researchers have had a unique opportunity to apply their work in a real-world setting,” says Jonas Tannerstad.In total, ÖBO spends approximately 180 million kronor per year on district heating.

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“So far, the first 30 substations that were connected have shown savings of between 8 and 18 percent. So that adds up to many millions and significant climate benefits. I don’t know of any single initiative that has yielded such a high return on investment,” says Jonas Tannerstad.

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The research project led the research team—which has deep expertise in mathematical modeling, optimization, and artificial intelligence—to realize that they could make it financially viable for more people to reduce the carbon footprint of their buildings while simultaneously saving on energy costs. One effect no one had considered initially was the living comfort of the tenants.

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"Our robust software learns the properties of the buildings and how external factors affect the indoor temperature. As a result, those who live and work in the buildings always experience the right temperature,” says Per Adolfsson, CEO of Algeno. “We provide significant benefits to property owners with large portfolios, such as ÖBO, who have digitized their properties.”

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One key to success is that ÖBO has open data in its heating systems.

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"The best approach is to build the infrastructure with open systems before adding the AI service. It’s like comparing old-fashioned cell phones to today’s smartphones. You want to be able to download new apps to implement the services that work best", says Jonas Tannerstad.

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