Award ceremony at Nordbygg 2018

There are three categories open for competition:

-       THE ENERGY SAVING SOLUTION OF THE YEAR

-       THE MOST FUTURE ORIENTED SOLUTION OF THE YEAR

-       THE READY-STEADY-GO INSTALLATION OF THE YEAR

Read more about the categories here and decide in which category your project has the highest chance to become a winner. Regardless of which category you have entered, the award ceremony is at Nordbygg in Stockholm, April 10-13 2018.

It is easy and fast to enter the competition!

You nominate your project in the easiest way possible by choosing a category and enter the name of the competing project. Register today!

Best of luck!

One of the key issues you’ll be discussing is how to make Sweden leading in internationalization of energy efficient heating and cooling. What are your views on the possibilities?

“Seen from an international standpoint, Swedish technology is very competitive. We’re highly advanced, not in the least since we’re experts in combining sustainability and energy efficiency. Making this connection is a key aspect if we’re to push the technological envelope even further.”

What goals have the Swedish Energy Agency set for the meeting? 

“For the agency it important to get a picture of whether increased national cooperation can increase Sweden’s export while also improving global energy efficiency. When speaking of sustainable energy, the Swedish Minister of Energy is referring to both a decreased use of resources as well as other positive effects, such as creating new jobs while improving the global environment and people’s health. I’m convinced this is the right path to take. Energy efficiency is not a burden but rather a possibility for all parties. Regin will continue to be a driving factor into this insight. We want to be at the forefront, helping both to improve the environment while promoting economic growth the world over.”

What issues will you contribute and press throughout the dialogue?

“Energy efficiency does not need to be expensive and complicated. We’re a very active company within the dialogue group and I’ll be only too happy to share our expertise with everyone. We work in sustainable building automation technology and I know it’s both possible and easy to take big steps forward in global energy efficiency if we focus on energy use in buildings.”

England, Poland and France: This year, Regin has been presented at seminars in several countries to illustrate how district heating can help reduce carbon dioxide emissions across Europe. Together with the Swedish Energy Agency, Regin’s last visit was to London. Here, alongside other Swedish companies, Regin met with key British players to have a dialogue on how Sweden can play a part in British district heating development.

“Our experience in technical solutions as well as customer relations are important input for the advancing energy market in England. Sweden’s export of district heating related goods and services can become a huge market, providing other countries with an effective energy supply”, says Göran Ehrngren who represented Regin in London.

Buildings in need of energy efficiency
According to the European Commission, as much as 40 percent of all carbon dioxide emissions within the EU are related to buildings. This means reducing energy consumption in buildings across Europe will have a tremendous impact in reaching the climate goals set out by the EU. “Many countries have a lot to win from improving building related energy efficiency – not in least through district heating. In England alone the district heating market is entirely dominated by gas heating, with a market share of almost 70 percent. In comparison, district heating has a market share of only 2 percent. This is a trend that must be broken.”

Getting the customer involved
By incorporating building automation services into district heating control systems, many positive effects can be gained immediately, for instance by gathering information on energy availability and consumption.

“Using an on-line district heating system enables us to visualize customer energy consumption, thereby helping the end customer in lowering their own consumption. If we can contribute to changing the behaviour of individuals living and working in buildings, we can reach the full potential for saving energy across Europe a lot faster”, says Göran Ehrngren.

Anna Jonsson attended a sales training program with a focus on Environmental science when she was asked to complete her internship at Regin. Six months later, she was a full-time employee.
“Everything just truly synched. Combined with my interest into technology and environmental issues, getting to sell products contributing to energy savings was really just the thing for me. When they asked if I wanted to stay on as a full-time employee after my internship, I knew this was going to work out great.”

Choosing each other
Regin has a structured approach to internships. A work placement program is in place and interns are actively cooperating with other employees and taking part in the everyday work process. 
“We help build trust and guide our interns through hands-on, relevant work assignments. We get ample time to get to know the person while they get a huge insight into the company, providing everyone with the ideal conditions to decide whether or not full-time employment is the right thing. It’s always best when we wind up in a position where we can both choose each other. That’s when we know things’ll work out for the best”, says Elin Ahlström, Sales Manager for Regin Sweden.

Plenty of work
Today, the entire building industry is facing huge challenges. The key players’ average age is high, with many of the current experts in the field quickly approaching retirement. Last week, Business Arena Gothenburg arranged a meeting of more than a thousand key industry players at the Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre in central Gothenburg. One of the most important topics was the issue of labour force replacement. Elin Ahlström participated as a panel member during one of the main seminars. 
“There’s both plenty of work and a bright future to be had in the building industry. We’re always looking for fresh young talents, who are not only looking to work in a sector full of opportunities but who also want to play a part in securing climate friendly buildings for a sustainable future. This is a message that industry players like us must work together to send out.”

The products tested during the meetups all have one thing in common, namely BACnet – a communication protocol for building automation. BACnet is primarily used in commercial buildings and makes it much easier to optimize for energy efficiency.

The meetups are arranged by the organization BACnet Interest Group Europe, with ties to around a hundred different companies the world over.

“For a few days, the participating companies all share a single highly specialized R&D department. We learn from each other and together we can push both the technology and our own industry sector.”

A shared testbed
There are no sales or marketing personnel attending the meetups. Only the best of all technicians and developers are invited, with everyone signing a confidentiality agreement to guarantee that no corporate secrets, upcoming product launches or functionality problems are revealed.

“We connect our equipment, both hardware and software, together through a shared network and then test out all functions. Usually, these are products not yet released on the market. We make sure everything works the way it should and then help each other through tips and advice. There’s always something to improve, which guarantees the finished products will all function in the best way once our customers install them into their buildings”, says Henrik Ekdahl.

Future-proof investment 
Using BACnet as a shared communication protocol makes it easy to connect products and systems from different manufacturers together. It makes it possible to use a shared infrastructure of networks and computers to create expanded functionality when integrating different systems such as ventilation, alarms and lighting.
“Everyone benefits from our products working well together, which is what we test rigorously when we meet. We want everything to be compatible. Instead of each participant getting trapped in their own communication protocol, this method enables smarter and better functioning buildings”, says Regin software developer Henrik Ekdahl.

What were your major impressions from the meeting?

“District heating, district cooling, and especially the use of waste heat are very important for the energy transition. I think the industry is on the right path, but some major challenges should still be addressed. For example, we need to make the end user and everyday citizen aware of both various energy sources and of their own energy consumption. Here, I see great potential in digital tools for visualizing energy consumption, which can help spur a change in consumer habits.”

You gave a presentation focusing on digitalization and district heating during the event in France. Can you tell us more about that?

“My presentation focused on the importance of open systems connected to the cloud, as these create opportunities for several actors to develop new tools. Besides minimizing human climate impact, we also see large opportunities in creating a better service level and aiding in troubleshooting. The industry has a huge responsibility in creating better channels of communication between energy suppliers, key industry players and the end user.

What do you find most interesting about the district heating industry of today?

“We all know that fossil fuels are no longer sustainable, and district heating is one of the easiest way to increase the use of renewable energy for everyone. DHC is quite a mature market in Sweden and we have come quite far regarding the energy transition. However, other countries do not have anywhere near as mature a system as do we. Right now, there are major investments taking place to promote district heating and cooling throughout Europe, and I have a strong feeling this industry will play a considerably larger part in the global energy systems of the future.”

CELSIUS is one of Europe’s largest Smart Cities projects, aimed at contributing to sustainable energy systems by making European cities invest more resources into district heating. Key energy players will gather in Lyon February 21-22 to exchange experiences and discuss solutions aimed at pushing the envelope of energy development even further. Among these experts is Regin Product Director Gunnar Åberg, who has been invited to speak in front of a pan-European audience.

“I’m going to focus on the importance of strengthening customer relations – for instance, by offering them better service. An on-line district heating plant, for example, can report any problems to the energy company directly. It is also possible to visualize customers’ energy consumption and help the end user to be actively engaged in lowering their consumption on their own”, Gunnar Åberg says.

Must offer something special

He is looking forward to see how services developed for the Swedish market by Regin will be received in other European markets, in which district heating is often seen as a newcomer hoping to compete with pre-existing, fossil fuel-based heating systems. As a newcomer, this method of heating must offer something special.

This is where Regin comes in, as these services benefit greatly from integration into district heating network control systems that gather data on energy consumption and usage. This way, they can become a hub between the supplier and end customer.

What do you hope the audience will gain after listening to you?

“The knowledge that district heating companies can further increase revenue when supplying energy if they create on-line systems and offer their customers additional services. For instance; energy grids can be optimized, permitting the end customer to choose a payment plan where the energy company lowers domestic heating output at times when available output from eco-friendly energy sources are at a minimum. The customer, in turn, receives a discount.”

Read more about the meeting here.

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The memorandum includes the assertion that Indonesia will aim to use 23 percent renewable energy by 2025. They have been challenged by Sweden to use 100 percent renewable energy by 2040. The memorandum also details joint policy developments to be carried out by the two countries, along with both bilateral and international cooperation.

Having led the delegation, Swedish Minister of Energy Mr. Ibrahim Baylan points out that the dialogue is now most assuredly taking a new turn. 10 years ago, the question in focus was simply who was going to foot the bill. Today, there is awareness of the fact that energy efficiency creates new jobs in society, offering increased growth and making industry more efficient.

Indonesia part of export strategy

Much like the Swedish government, the Swedish Energy Agency has made Indonesia a priority for Team Sweden Energy, thereby marking it as one of the countries with the greatest potential for Sweden’s export strategy. 

“We greatly welcome the fact that Indonesia is now also a IEA partner country. The country’s increased presence in various multilateral forums bodes well for the future, seeing as how the climate issue and the development of renewable energy are truly international questions. There is much we can learn from each other through international cooperation, both through policy discussions as well as joint research and development projects. Innovative businesses in Sweden have a part to play in the global transition between different energy systems. The Swedish Energy Agency has been tasked with supporting Small and Medium-sized Enterprises in finding new possibilities in new markets”, says Paul Westin, energy counsellor at the Swedish Embassy in Jakarta.

For Regin, this motivates further investmanrs into energy efficiency, both in Sweden and internationally. “Using our technology in conjunction with various political incentives will enable us to go far together”, says Stefan Blom.

Long-term energy efficiency is not just about supplying products and solutions. The most important aspect is to increase awareness and initiative among property owners all over the world. Many hope that market forces alone will succeed in doing this through increasing savings and property values, but this system has its flaws according to Stefan Blom. His message regarding this journey is clear: policy instruments used together with adaptive market forces will enable us to attract and influence all organizations into improving their climate policies.

“Hong Kong provides many good examples. There, buildings were recognized as one of the major culprits in energy consumption as far back as 1998. This led to policies being enacted in 2012 regarding just how much energy a single building is permitted to use. This is something that should also be studied by others”, says Stefan Blom.

International cooperation in focus

Efforts must be made from several directions at once. Political processes take far longer than commercial ones, and as such there is much to win from traveling as a delegation.

As the newly appointed chairman of the International Energy Agency (IEA), Mr. Baylan will represent not only the voice of Sweden but also speak for many others. His presence is immensely important in order to ensure and exemplify a long-term commitment at a political level.

“For Regin, traveling with this delegation means we have an opportunity both to inform and to discuss the merits of energy efficiency with policy makers at a considerably higher level than normally, both politically and at a corporate level.” As a company, our job lies in ensuring that peoples investments pay off fast.

Being able to provide information on various gains, in combination with the policy making process initiated by Minister of Energy Mr. Baylan, will enable Stefan Blom to return to customers in five years time with the issue at hand still remaining relevant.

“I am convinced this will be well received among the people with whom our delegation will meet during our days in Indonesia. At Regin, we have excellent solutions for energy efficiency and are already established in the region with a competent and committed organization and partner network to ensure service and support”, says Regin Sales Manager Stefan Blom.

How would you summarize the way the company has developed throughout all these years?

“I’ve been with the company for almost 36 years and can truly say Regin has made an incredible journey. We’ve gone from a company manufacturing simple products to one offering comprehensive energy saving solutions. These days, we focus a lot on discussing how best to create a sustainable future where people are comfortable in the buildings where they live and work. Today we’re a comprehensive supplier with a dedicated, competent staff enjoying great trust from our customers. I’m extremely proud, and the ongoing commitment of everyone involved fills me with positive energy.”

How will you celebrate the company anniversary?

“Throughout 2017, we will be celebrating our 70-year-old in several different ways. All plans aren’t entirely complete as of yet, but of course we’ll post regular updates in our website newsfeed and via social media. I hope all our colleagues and customers feel the same joy as I do over being so close to such a stable company, where all the collective experience and knowledge offers new opportunities each and every day.”

See you at ISH 2017!

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Wednesday at 17:30: German / Swedish Night 

Thursday at 17:30: Italian / Swedish Night

Located in Helsingborg, McNeil manufactures pharmaceutical products, such as the Nicorette brand of nicotine gum and patches to help smokers quit their habit. Different steps in the manufacturing process all have different limits for humidity and temperature in order to guarantee product quality, and all rooms have sensors that trigger alarms if these limits are breached. The rigorous demands on climate safety during manufacturing have for many years made error handling a huge task which has generated a massive paper trail.

“We deliver our products to a global market, basically, and government supervision is especially strict in the United States. Frequently, they’ll want to review historical data to see any deviations we’ve experienced in our manufacturing facilities, requiring us to print out graphs from at least two years back. Since our entire credibility depends on this, it’s extremely important.”, says Rickard Öhman who works as a control engineer at McNeil.

Previously, he’s been forced to fill in forms and handle all paperwork by himself, but that’s all in the past. Now he’s got his hands on a pre-release version of Regin’s upcoming EXOscada system. The system demands a digital signature every time someone wishes to change a setting, requiring the user to sign in and specify exactly why the change is being made. All changes are constantly registered and all information is saved to the system.

A massive global pressure

“We’ve experienced a massive pressure to introduce these functions: from USA, Asia, Ireland as well as from Sweden. This will be of enormous benefit to our customers in fields with high demands for reliability and traceability”, says Regin product manager Gunnar Åberg.

Water & sewage plants is one example where monitoring personnel were previously required to wear a special wristband linking them to the computer via a USB port, thereby ensuring they were automatically logged out when leaving their workstation. All to prevent unauthorized individuals from making any changes to the system. Now, this physical safety lock is no longer required.

A huge save on labour

For McNeil, this new function means no longer being restricted to a single computer for systems control. Instead, it is now possible to access this function from any system and to make changes. Besides, Rickard Öhman will receive an automatic warning message if someone attempts to penetrate the system by systematically testing out a series of incorrect passwords.

“I am just incredibly pleased. We hope for a huge save on labour, seeing as how this will present a much more flexible way of working. I installed this only last week. It’s an entirely new way of thinking. If it works the way I hope it will, I see only advantages.

“There is a huge potential to increase the pace at which public buildings can be made energy efficient.  Quite little is actually done when compared to what could be accomplished”, says Anders Torsell.

Big investments are cumbersome

One of the main goals of the ongoing climate efforts is for the public sector to set a good example. Critics, however, say that players often hamper their own efforts, in that it is difficult to get major investments approved. In the long run, this means profitable energy saving measures are not carried out.
“Municipal transaction times during large investments, including planning and purchasing, are slow and cumbersome. Many inquiries end up in a wastebasket rather than as fully realized projects. For instance, energy saving measures related to building automation are often sidelined due to a lack of investment funds, all while measures controlled by direct legal requirements are given a higher priority.”

Step by step
Energy efficient buildings are of crucial importance if climate goals are to be reached. Today, the technology required is already available on the market and ready to be implemented, with a tremendous know-how available within the industry. One solution is to work in steps when upgrading building portfolios by gradually carrying out measures and expanding existing systems. This means reduced investment costs but still offers enormous returns. Already on the first day, the implemented measures can result in greatly saved energy costs and a reduced climate impact. 
“The most important part is getting started. This also includes measuring energy consumption, thereby enabling the property owner to pinpoint the location of the most expensive buildings in his portfolio. If actors within the public sector can only get this far, and if they can be made to see that they can save millions in only a single year, it ensures continued cooperation where the money saved from a single building can be used to improve the efficiency in others”, says Anders Torsell.

Facts - The potential of Swedish municipalities

7 billion SEK in reduced energy costs 
There are enormous economic gains to be made by assessing building management costs. 
According to inquiries made by the SKL (Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions), energy savings of up to 25 % could be fully realized within the next 20 years. This would equate approximately 7 billion SEK annually in reduced energy costs for publicly owned buildings.

There are climate targets to reach and money to be saved. However, building energy efficiency is still not a priority for many property owners, even though it should be. To remedy this, new solutions are required. As part of an international energy conference in Paris, Regin, as one of only a few chosen companies, has been invited to an exclusive roundtable discussion. Other participants include Sweden’s Minister of Energy, Mr. Ibrahim Baylan, the head of the IEA and a representative of Schneider Electric.
“Companies like ours must cooperate to reach a common industry standard. Furthermore, there are presently no overarching policies or political instruments to increase the desire among businesses and consumers to install new and energy efficient control technology”, states Johan Ohlsson, Managing Director at Regin.

Accelerated write-off periods
Investments in building automation technology can be perceived as costly. This is especially true since a common behaviour is to value short-term rather than long-term profits. However, solutions do exist that are profitable almost immediately after having been installed.
“The potential is unlimited. Each and every year Swedish property owners lose billions in unnecessary energy bills. This requires incentives, such as accelerated write-off times or other tax breaks, in order for us to reach a milestone sooner. The opportunities for energy efficiency must be placed much higher on the political agenda. These questions should have a natural place in the ongoing energy debate.

Steps towards energy efficiency
Regin wishes to see specific national directives drawn up in order to meet climate targets. A first step would be to set a time frame for when all Swedish buildings should be capable of online communication. The next step would be to legally decide which information from an online building should be made public.
“If guidelines can be set in place concerning which programming language to use in building automation and which measurement values should be made available and public, we can greatly accelerate the overall process for energy efficiency. Every kilowatt hour not used will benefit both the climate and your wallet.”

Colleagues, not competitors
Paving the way for an even bigger step forward requires cooperation. Regin wishes to contribute to an industry of innovation and influence, in which everyone works together.
“We don’t have time to view other businesses as competitors. We’re industry colleagues, and that requires up-front cooperation. We need to sit down at the same table and join in some constructive discussions. This would enable both the whole industry and the process of energy efficiency to evolve much faster”, says Johan Ohlsson.

This Friday sees Stefan Blom of Regin meeting up with Sweden’s Minster of Energy and a handful of other companies to plan an upcoming trip to India with the Swedish Energy Agency. This is a direct follow-up to an earlier tour of India; a country in great need of energy efficient technology. This time however, the selected companies will be accompanied by the minister and the different parties will give presentations together.

“This is wonderful, of course! At Regin, we constantly discuss these energy issues, live with them and have a passion for them. We really do believe we’re making a difference in the world. The Minster of Energy coming along will give these questions a lot more attention", says Stefan Blom.

Reliability and openness
The meeting will serve to fine-tune the strategy for presentations around India, allowing the speakers to decide on which issues to jointly press. Stefan Blom views the minister’s role as paving the way for Swedish technology, explaining how Swedish companies stand for safety, reliability and openness. Regin and the other technology manufacturers will press the fact that Sweden is far ahead in energy technology, further highlighting solutions that can make a considerable difference.

“I believe we’re helping the minister by accompanying him to discuss concrete steps to take while he forges relations between our countries. We might walk into a shopping center or a hotel and in detail show just how much energy can be conserved while Mr. Baylan authoratively demonstrates that Sweden can be trusted.”

Raising Swedish issues
While the tour presents an opportunity to press a common Swedish agenda in India, Stefan Blom also views it as an opportunity to inform the minister of current issues within the Swedish energy industry. Among other things, he would like to point out the enormous opportunity for saving energy in government and municipal buildings, schools and hospitals: a process which could be sped up considerably if it were politically motivated.

“We would like Sweden and Europe to become aware of the fact that 40 % of our energy consumption comes from buildings. We would like to shift focus from only discussing car emissions to how buildings must also reduce their energy use. Various political instruments could be used to work towards this purpose”, says Stefan Blom.

Many kinds of benefits
Primarily, however, India is in focus; a market where Stefan Blom sees Regin making a difference in more than one way. Regin wishes to supply the actual technology while letting its partner companies in India install it. Only a marginal sum of project gains would benefit Regin in Sweden. The rest would remain locally, in India.

“Of course we wish to sell our products, but contributing the basic technology will simultaneously generate both an intrest in energy efficiency as well as job opportunities in India. Our core value here is that a large part of the profit remains while helping them to get started.”

This year’s annual partner network get-together saw around fifty of Regin’s certified system integrators meeting up on an ocean cruise. For individuals working with Regin’s advanced control systems, this event presents a golden opportunity to generate new business, strengthening networking within specific areas and to see how industry colleagues are working; increasing collaboration to generate success.

Do your company also want to be a certified and be a part of the Regin partner network?

Contact us at info[at]regin.se or 031  - 720 02 00.

With approximately 240 million inhabitants, Indonesia is one of the world’s fastest growing economies. The country plans for sustainable urban development, constantly upgrading its existing infrastructure with demands placed on decreased energy consumption.
“There are a great number of hotels in Asia, especially on the Indonesian island of Bali, which is a highly expansive region. A number of hotels are either constructing new resorts or are faced with substantial demands for renovations, requiring the replacement of old building automation solutions. Regin can contribute greatly to this process”, says Michael Johansson.

Sheraton and Marriott
August saw Regin participating in a delegation visiting Indonesia, organized by the Swedish Energy Agency and Business Sweden. Its aim was to establish connections between Swedish and Indonesian companies, allowing them to reach business agreements contributing to increased energy efficiency throughout the country. Regin met with the Green Building Council of Indonesia, further introducing the company to several large hotel groups whose portfolios include luxury hotels such as Mariott and Sheraton.
“We introduced our Room Automation Solution product range, capable of controlling heating and cooling in both a single room as well as an entire hotel complex. For instance, hotel temperatures are set based on occupancy levels and whether or not guests are currently present in their rooms.”

New employment opportunities
Regin takes a long-term view of its Indonesian relations, and personnel at the company offices in Jakarta are now working towards further strengthening our network of contacts. The investment into Indonesia and other countries surrounding the Pacific Rim can mean the creation of new jobs both within Regin and local industries.
“There was a huge interest in our solutions. Our big advantage is our ability to offer on-site support. Through our Jakarta offices we are presently building a strong partner network with certified integrators in Indonesia familiar with our products”, says Regin Business Area Manager Michael Johansson.

Here at Regin, we like comprehensive solutions and together with our customers we’re constantly looking for new, smart solutions for energy efficiency. We’ve chosen to call a part of this work Ready-Steady-Go. This is a range of products that are extremely easy to install, quick to get into operation and are ideal for both large and small projects. We’ve applied the same thinking for the recipes.

Bon appetit and a fantastic summer from everyone at Regin!

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We are here all summer!

During the summer (4th of July - 19th of August) our Swedish offices have the following opening hours:

Monday - Thursday 8:00 - 16:30
Friday 8:00 - 15:00
Closed for lunch 12:00 - 13:00

Regular opening hours:

Monday - Friday 7:00 - 16:30