Next generation commissioning

A remarkable difference in energy consumption between two kindergartens has made the municipality of Kolding count on commissioning.

THEME

DESIGNING SOLUTIONS FOR A POSITIVE LIFE

The results are great, seen from our perspective. We have never before succeeded in building a kindergarten that actually lives up to the set requirements. As a result, we have started using commissioning on a lot of our other projects, and we are now starting to see the results we ask for.

Lars Højensgård Energy Coordinator Kolding Municipality Over several years, the municipality of Kolding felt that their new developments did not live up to expectations. The indoor climate was not as good as it was supposed to be, the energy consumption was too high and, similarly, it was expensive to find and mend defects.

Thus, the municipality chose to try a new structured commissioning process for the development of the new kindergarten Løvetand. MOE was in charge of the process and when the development came into use, the municipality reaped the benefits. In addition to having an advantageous indoor climate which needed much less adjustment than expected, the energy consumption was surprisingly low.

40 % energy conservation To illustrate the value of commissioning, the municipality of Kolding compared Løvetand to another kindergarten Børnehuset Midtbyen, developed only a year previous, but without commissioning. Over the course of a winter, the results from the two kindergartens were compared and the differences were quite obvious. As a bit of an eyeopener, Løvetand turned out to have a 40 % lower energy consumption per square meter than Børnehuset Midtbyen. The municipality of Kolding’s Energy Coordinator, Lars Højensgård, is happy that Løvetand has revealed the effects of commissioning:

The results are great, seen from our perspective. We have never before succeeded in building a kindergarten that actually lives up to the set requirements. As a result, we have started using commissioning on a lot of our other projects, and we are now starting to see the results we ask for, Lars Højensgård states.

Since this project, the municipality of Kolding has used commissioning with similar positive results on two schools, a health centre and another children’s institution.

A new joint CTS-standard To make it easier for the operating staff to get an overview of the building’s energy consumption, the project included better CTScontrol. To this end, MOE has developed a joint standard for the preparation of CTS-control that is now also used in five other institutions in Kolding.

Børnehaven Løvetand Client Kolding Municipality Architect Pluskontoret Arkitekter © Jesper Balleby (both photos)