nir-vana innovation network

The SME is a listed Swedish property technology company, that has developed and provided property technology solutions for building energy effectivization since 2013. Since the founding, the SME has successfully developed and launched a series of energy saving technologies on the Swedish market. The SME is part of a Group consisting of 7 companies, that provide services in three business areas: circular energy systems, building automation and indoor climate solutions. The SME has a strong R&D-focus and has cooperated with academia and industry stakeholders in a series of R&D projects co-financed by the Swedish Energy Agency, the Swedish Innovation Agency and the European Regional Development Fund. The SME has developed the unique system that recaptures and recirculates up to 95% of the available thermal energy from contaminated industrial process water and residential building wastewater. Thermal energy lost by wastewater discharge represents up to 30% of the total energy expenditure for heating in the average EU building. In modern energy efficient buildings this figure is even higher. Up to today this is energy that has been lost ‘down the drain’. This System makes it possible to recover and reuse this energy, thus reducing the need for external thermal energy by up to 27 kWh/m2 living area and year. The SMEs system can be implemented in new construction and retrofitted to existing buildings is based on SMEs proprietary heat exchanging technology, that offers a unique means to recapture, store and redistribute waste energy to buildings with a minimized need for maintenance. The system can easily be integrated in existing BMS and heat distribution systems. It reduces the overall need of external (purchased) thermal energy, reduces rates through flattened peak energy needs, reduces building CO2-emissions and increases building valuation. The system was developed to facilitate implementation in buildings (both commercial and residential) and industry processes, allowing for recaptured heat from contaminated fluids and wastewater to replace purchased energy. The technology is implementable in most processes with residual heat, such as building black water, industrial process water and cooling water. The system can be integrated in all common BMSs (Building Management Software) and is adaptable to industrial control and supervision software. The system can be dimensioned to recover heat from single multi-family buildings to city blocks, districts, water treatment plants and industries. The flexible system allows for integration in both new buildings and industrial applications, as well as retrofitting to existing buildings and industry. Implementation of the system in buildings significantly reduce the need for externally purchased heat (i.e., natural gas, district heating or other external heat) and thus increases the net operating income and valuation of buildings. The system is well adapted to integration into complex heat systems and energy contracting solutions, where the SMEs system delivers a year-round green base load for heating of buildings and tap water. Following the SMEs establishment on the Swedish market, the SME is now in the process of bringing this system to the EU market. The SME therefore actively seeking collaboration with builders, industry and energy contactors in terms of a commercial agreement with technical assistance.