Energy Machines was commissioned to redesign and implement a greener and more cost-efficient energy solution for the 70,000 sq m exhibition center in Stockholm. Since the implementation of a system redesign with a new heat pump-and-chiller and software integration, Stockholmsmässan now reuses their own energy. The result is a drastic reduction in energy costs and a far friendlier solution for the environment.
While saving energy is often about taking big measures, it is also about constant improvement efforts. For the case at Stockholmsmässan (Stockholm International Fairs), Energy Machines' focus was on reviewing peak operation periods and how the property's air handling units could best handle the wide scope of circumstances encountered in the exhibition business.
In consultation with Leif Dahllöf, property manager for Stockholmsmässan, Energy Machines initiated the design process for optimizing the energy system for the entire property.
"When our internal energy work began in 2012, we thought of Energy Machines right from the start. With previous good experience in mind, we knew that their staff has unique expertise and a personalized approach to the problems," said Leif Dahllöf, Property Manager.
Energy design is based on feasibility studies and energy audits in which a building’s basic needs for heating, cooling, and domestic hot water dictate the solution for finding a new energy management structure. In this case, operation of the exhibition premises presented a unique challenge.
“One week there are 10,000 people who pour in through huge doors carrying exhibition materials back and forth. All the lighting is on and the ventilation is running at full speed. One week later the premises are empty and everything drops to a minimum. The solution was to reprogram the air handling unit controllers to preemptively react to the outdoor temperature and the expected operation inside the premises,” Leif explains.
The energy audit resulted in a five-year plan, revised annually for the continuous optimization of results. The audit’s focus is on sustainable solutions that reuse renewable energy — in contrast with traditional solutions like district heating, district cooling, and stand-alone chillers where energy tends to be wasted.
Our EM1 combined heat-pump-and-chiller has been installed with the aim of moving energy within the building. The property generates a lot of excess energy – partly from the exhibition halls’ many visitors but, most notably, from the restaurants’ kitchen installations and server rooms.
Energy Machines’ control software refines and dictates the movement of the surplus energy to other parts of the building. In this way, total energy use is significantly reduced.
“We have already noted a significant difference in energy consumption. On the investments made thus far, payback times have been relatively short,” said Leif.
The EM1 machine delivers, on average, 940 MWh of heat and domestic hot water and 740 MWh of cooling per year. Immediately upon installation, the need for district heating and cooling was reduced. The machine consumes approximately 190 MWh per year at Stockholmsmässan, resulting in an annual COP of 8.
