Buy results, not technology

Perhaps the most important energy technology of our time, they can produce heat from underground or even out of freezing air.

Heat pumps gather energy from the air, the earth, and from water. The most common form of energy is solar energy that becomes stored in the environment. A heat pump produces heat energy by using electricity, a heat exchanger, compressors and a coolant. Depending on the technology, the amount of energy produced is 2 - 4 times more than the electricity used by the heat pump. The aforementioned coefficient of performance (COP) reveals the energy efficiency of the heat pump.

The best thing about heat pumps is their outstanding energy efficiency. When one unit of electricity is fed into the pump, it makes between two to four units of heat for the property depending on the technology and conditions. The competitiveness of heat pumps is based precisely on this efficiency gain.

Heat pumps can also take advantage of waste heat currents, such as exhaust air from buildings and waste heat from industrial processes. The available heat sources vary and they can be combined in different ways.

There are over one million heat pumps in use in Finland, of which the most common is a simple and affordable air source heat pump (ASHP). When heating large properties geothermal heat pumps (GHP), exhaust air heat pumps (EAHP), and air-to-water heat pumps (ATWHP) are used.

Even more common is the use of a drilled geothermal energy well being used in cooling. Combining heating and cooling is typically worthwhile when one system is used for both functions.

This is how a logistics center stays warm with 50 energy wells

Not too much, not too little. An automated ventilation system saves energy and makes internal spaces comfortable and healthy.

A surprising amount of ventilation systems in large buildings are not controlled as they should be. This presents a huge potential for savings in ventilation costs.

In an energy overhaul, as part of a ventilation modernization project, the complete ventilation system of the property is examined: the ventilation fans and their controllers, and the use of different spaces and their required volumes of air. Subsequently, the energy-inefficient equipment is replaced, a heat recovery system is constructed, and the ventilation control is fine tuned with the help of sensors, which monitor the temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide levels of the spaces. The old equipment that is still effective is checked and the ventilation ducts are cleaned.

Demand controlled ventilation (DCV) means that the air is changed more where there is more humidity and carbon dioxide - and less where there is empty space. Thanks to DCV solutions, 50% - 70% savings can be made in the amount of electricity used by fans, and as much as 30% - 40% savings in heating and cooling energy use. At the same time, we have to make sure that energy savings in ventilation do not become an end in themselves.

In smart ventilation systems the carbon dioxide sensors constantly inform the system of how much air needs to be changed. The amount of electricity used to move the incoming or exhaust air is precisely the necessary amount and not a fraction more. Less warm air is blown out of the building resulting in savings in heating energy use.

The largest savings in an energy overhaul are usually achieved by taking advantage of the heat energy bound up in exhaust air or other, so called, waste energy currents. Taking advantage of waste heat is also referred to as energy recycling.

The old way of doing things is to blow out the air that was just warmed with expensive energy. A more sensible way is to carefully capture the heat and replace bought energy with it. The higher the price of energy, the more worthwhile the investment in heat recovery. Reducing the carbon footprint is another important driver.

Heat is normally captured with the help of heat pumps. Thanks to the technical development of heat pumps, even mild temperatures can be made use of profitably.

A relatively new method of taking advantage of waste heat from ventilation is to inject it into geothermal energy wells. Regenerating the heat wells increases the efficiency of the system, and at the same time, the energy is reused.

Automation is the brains of the building technology system. With the help of smart automation, an optimal balance between the desired conditions and energy use can be achieved. Correctly programmed and controlled automation can maintain good conditions with 10% - 15% smaller costs than an average system - taking into consideration changes in the use of the property.

Responsible property owners check the modernization requirements of their automation systems at least every ten years. When considering the procurement of a new system, it is worth taking into consideration the lifecycle stage of the system being checked as the operating time of the system is long.

At the heart of almost all of LeaseGreen’s completed energy overhauls is an improvement in the level of automation systems or a broad-ranging modernization. The work begins with an assessment of the property’s requirements for use and the system’s performance capabilities. The operability of the equipment, its connectivity, and intelligence are checked. The settings are adjusted according to requirements, for example, the amount of ventilation changes according to how many people are in the internal space. The conditions improve thus saving energy. Modernization of an automation system is an investment that pays itself back quickly.

This is how automation saves Oriola 2.5 million euros

The automation system functionality can be controlled and further improved by connecting the property to the LeaseGreen optimization service. For example, a smart heating system can read the weather forecast and automatically turn up the heating a little just before the cold front arrives. When the weather improves, the system turns down the heating at precisely the right time.

Read how properties turn into Teslas

Thanks to solar panels we are now making buildings carbon neutral.

Solar electricity reduces property owner’s energy costs and cuts the daily peaks in energy use. It also reduces the amount of solar radiation hitting the roof, which reduces the cooling requirements. Previously, only the unprofitable area of the roof used for protecting the building could be used. Solar electricity can also be seen as an external message about the sustainability values of the property owner.

Capital investments in solar electricity in Finland usually produce an equal or slightly higher profit than the average for property investments. If the solar electricity produced on an individual’s own roof or plot of land is used on site, the system can provide its owner with a yearly profit of 6% - 8%. More and more property owners are finding out about taking advantage of their own solar electricity in cooling their homes or charging their electric cars.

A good rule of thumb for the potential solar electricity production in Southern Finland is 0.8 - 0.9 megawatt hours of electricity per year for each installed kilowatt of power.

A solar electricity system is technically a very simple thing: the DC current from the solar panel is directed into the inverter, which changes the current to AC which is suitable for the electricity of the main network. The system is linked to the property’s other energy systems using the automation system.

This is how you can use solar energy to heat a warehouses

Solar energy can be used to ripen bananas

How does a 90% saving in lighting energy use sound? Thanks to LED technology, it is possible - and the light efficiency also improves.

Modern LED lighting produces the same amount of light with up to 90% less energy use than old light sources. The operating time of LEDs is considerably longer than traditional lighting solutions, so maintenance and upkeep costs are also reduced.

It is usually worthwhile to take advantage of the energy efficiency of LED lighting by improving the lighting conditions of the property. LEDs are easy to direct and they typically take under a microsecond to light up. Users of properties that have new efficient lighting are usually surprised by how much the increase in light affects the comfort of the working environment. Good lighting also improves work safety.

The price of LED technology has dropped dramatically over the past few years, meaning that renewing lighting should not be delayed for financial reasons. Repayment times are very short, typically 2 - 6 years.