Leading energy, technology and construction companies join forces to develop next generation sustainable housing in Stockholm

04 May 2015, 12:03 EEST

Sweden’s Stockholm Royal Seaport urban development area is set to become the site of a unique research project, with 150 new apartments as the testing bench.

Globally leading companies have joined forces to equip these homes with state-of-the-art energy technologies and connected appliances, enabling residents to monitor and control their energy usage in real time. The object of this collaborative effort is to develop and demonstrate smarter ways of managing energy and help residents use energy more efficiently. The smart energy housing project in Stockholm is backed by a cross-industry consortium where the key contributors are Fortum, ABB, Ericsson, Electrolux and the Swedish Energy Agency. The homes are built by NCC, Erik Wallin and HEBA.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Just as urbanisation is a global phenomenon, the need for sustainable cities is universal too. Our ambition for this initiative is to address and inspire energy-efficient urban living everywhere," says Johan Ander, project manager with energy supplier Fortum. "This development started as a pilot with a single apartment. That produced valuable input to the full-scale project, where we will test and develop new technologies together with the residents based on knowledge and experience we gain."

Families who make their homes in the new Royal Seaport apartments will, thanks to the smart energy solutions, get a better overview of their energy usage. With the help of software, the future consumption can be predicted based on historical data and algorithms, which helps both utilities and the consumers. The consortium participants will gain insights about energy usage in buildings; knowledge, which will be transferred to and applied for further development of smarter cities, smart grid, housing and appliances. The technology used in the 150 apartments is designed to enable Demand Response energy solutions. The residents will not only see their energy consumption visualized on a screen, they are also alerted on environmental factors and energy pricing. Appliances such as washing machines and dryers can thus be programmed to run at optimal times to minimize climate impact and/or to save energy costs. The technology and housing developed by the Stockholm Royal Seaport project has potential to address worldwide markets where demand is rising for energy solutions that minimize climate impact.

"The future energy system requires smarter grids to ensure a high level of reliability while enabling the increasing use of renewable energy. It also requires a system with innovative solutions to make it simple for consumers to make the best choices e.g. for homes and transportation – thereby contributing to a more sustainable world," says Johan Söderström, Managing Director, ABB Sweden.

For more information please contact:
Johan Ander, Project Manager
E-mail: johan [dot] ander [at] fortum [dot] com (johan[dot]ander[at]fortum[dot]com)
Phone: + 46 761 04 20 64