The real estate company Seppälän liiketalo Oy was faced with a situation where the district heating system was already past its prime. The approximately 2,300 square meter commercial property, built in the 1990s in a very central location in Jyväskylä, has commercial spaces on the street level and office spaces on the upper floors. These premises are now heated by new HögforsGST equipment, bringing clear savings in heating costs.
– We came to a realisation that the property’s substation for district heating had already exceeded its operational life and took immediate action to avoid any possible issues, says chairman of the board Kimmo Helke.
Helke has been involved in the operations of the property company for a long time and they know the property as well as their own pockets. They are also well aware of all any renovations carried out throughout the building’s history.
– We had to build the roof all over again after the original felt roof started leaking. After that, there hasn’t really been all that much to do before now that we’re about to renew the heating system. Right now we’re in the middle of renewing the ventilation system, Helke says.
A system for the modern times
The process of renewing the heating system began with a request for proposal by the property manager. The request was met with some offers and two of them were selected for the final. In the end, HögforsGST emerged victorious.
– HögforsGST benefited greatly from FiksuGST’s remote control system as well as the new innovation regarding the utilization of energy generated by district heating’s return heat, a so-called mid-cooling connection, says Helke.
Mid-cooling connection allows us to use the heat generated by district heating to heat domestic hot water, resulting in higher efficiency and lower temperature for return water. Heating companies usually have some monetary incentives on offer for those who are inclined to optimise their return water’s temperature.
– When it comes to heating costs, we’ve managed to save hundreds or even a thousand euros per year due to the refunds we’ve received from our district heating payments. It has been a tremendous help in covering the costs of renewing the substation, Helke elaborates.
Easy installation
After the system was in place, the installation went quickly. Helke commends the modularity of HögforsGST’s system which sped up the installation process tremendously.
– When all the equipment comes pre-assembled and adjusted straight from the factory, the installation process becomes a breeze. Moreover, the equipment fits smaller spaces as well. Since we carried out the installation in May, we didn’t really need heating, but domestic hot water was also out for just a couple of days, Helke reminisces.
Remote access makes life easier
In addition to featuring a comprehensive remote access system which helps with reducing heating-related costs, FiksuGST also alerts its user in case something goes wrong.
– The Fiksu system shows you the optimal temperatures as well as real-time temperatures at a glance. The diagrams also help with pinpointing any possible faults, Helke tells.
Having just finished the renewal process for the ventilation equipment, the property company intends to control the equipment through the Fiksu system as well.
– I can recommend HögforsGST’s services to other property companies, too. They’ll provide you with a system with the right dimensions to the right place, and their new innovations are going to bring your heating system to the 21st century, Helke concludes.
