Sustainability has been on the tip of every HVAC professional’s tongue in recent years, but how can you have true sustainability in a commercial or residential setting? The proper tools and technology will go long way toward helping.
Contractor Magazine’s Candace Roulo recently visited Grundfos, a Denmark-based company, looking to improve sustainability technology through a pumping solution. Mads Nipper, Grundfos group president and CEO, said the company wants to pioneer technology that will not only help customers, but improve the quality of life for people and help the planet.
One way Grundfos wants to help improve global sustainability is through the creation of a smarter building. Hans Brink Hansen, Grundfos business development manager, said there is not a lot of current data on the energy consumption of buildings, so the company created Grundfos Kollegiet. This is a dorm housing 200 students and being monitored by 1,800 sensors. It will look to monitor water use, indoor climate, building performance and more, all while providing an analysis of the building and its operation.
“We hope this data will allow us to create a good future,” added Hansen. “This is a prototype for universities in the U.S. If successful, we want to encourage other building owners to focus on their data, and to communicate with people that this type of data is indeed beneficial.”
In a blog post on her trip to Denmark, Roulo said one aspect that sets Grundfos apart is their drive toward always creating something better, faster and stronger. They’re also open, transparent and honest when speaking about their projects.