Are Sensus energy efficiency system halves office space energy consumption
Are has created remarkable energy savings in the Pension Fennia office building. The energy consumption of the Pasilan Visio 2 office building is about a half that of the energy consumption of average office spaces. These savings are a result of the Are Sensus building services system. It has been developed to use free and low-energy sources to significantly reduce or even largely replace purchased energy.
Pasilan Visio 2 is a 11,000 square metre office building in Helsinki that was taken into use in late 2009. The building uses the Are Sensus energy efficiency system which controls the heating, cooling, ventilation and lighting of the premises. Are is responsible for the maintenance of the building and is therefore also in charge of the optimal use of the building services system.
The energy consumption of the premises has been monitored in almost real-time since the beginning, and the new building has now reached ‘normal consumption’. The energy consumption reports drafted twice a year show that the office premises with the Are Sensus system consume up to half of the average energy consumption of office buildings. In earlier theoretical modelling, it was calculated that Are Sensus would create a 20 per cent energy saving.
“We knew that Are Sensus would create significant energy savings, but we are positively surprised with these top results. Low energy consumption will further increase the competitiveness of our premises in the market, as environmental friendliness is one of the main selection criteria for many companies looking for office space,” says Esa Porri, Building Manager, Pension Fennia.
The energy efficiency of Are Sensus is based on effective utilisation of free sources of energy. In practice, the system transfers heat from rooms and data centres to ventilation equipment where this free energy heats air drawn in from outside. Similarly, cool outdoor air is used as a free cooling source. In Pasilan Visio, energy consumption is further decreased by the energy efficient ‘deep’ shape of the building, which means that the building has a low outer surface area, as well as other features, such as the choice of windows.
Inside, ceiling panels heat and cool the interiors comfortably and without draughts. Are Sensus has an automated system that controls ventilation and provides soft and glare-free lighting independently for each space based on occupancy. Technical elements do not restrict the use of space so workstations can be positioned and spaces altered easily.
“A pleasant working environment has a great impact on the wellbeing, performance and comfort of the staff. As part of our continuous maintenance agreement with Are, we regularly survey user satisfaction with the building’s interior. The users of Pasilan Visio 2 have been particularly happy with the air quality. The satisfaction surveys provide important user information for the optimum and ecological use of the building,” Porri says.
We already have ten years of positive experience with the Are Sensus system. The total floor area of projects featuring the system is over 100,000 square metres. Buildings currently under construction that will use the Are Sensus system include projects for Technopolis in Jyväskylä, Helsinki and Vantaa as well as for Metsätapiola in Espoo.
For additional information, please contact:
Pension Fennia, Esa Porri, Building Manager, tel. +358 400 609 548
Design Manager Heikki Mäki, Are Group, tel. +358 40 300 5606
