Continuation
Energy: Microgrids – a flexibility market for energy
Today, about fifty housing associations in Hammarby Sjöstad have made so-called Ecodrives. This means that an energy survey of the property has been carried out together with energy expert Willy Ociansson and ElectriCITY. The purpose has been to get to know your own property and find effective solutions that can reduce both energy consumption and costs.
The energy survey has been followed by joint procurements and investments in solar cells, heat pumps, geothermal heat and new control systems. This has resulted in about 20 housing associations reducing their energy costs by more than 50%.
The next step in the search for further energy efficiency improvements is to share energy in so-called microgrids, a system that is not only profitable but can also help solve the power shortage in Stockholm.
ElectriCITY Innovation, together with a number of partners, has received a grant from Energimyndigheten (the Swedish Energy Agency) to implement a comprehensive project with flexible energy. The project will develop efficient solutions for measuring, storing and sharing local energy in so-called energy communities and in a flexibility market.
The energy communities must have systems for load balancing of electricity, sharing of energy between properties, local battery solutions for storage and production of renewable energy, such as solar cells. Measures that can provide energy savings of up to 30 percent.
Within the project, two energy communities are formed, one of which is a newly built residential area in Örebro and the other is Hammarby Sjöstad. In this way, the project includes both new construction and existing buildings. In Hammarby Sjöstad, test beds are being built for microgrids.
In addition to the purely technical system solutions, the project will also review guidelines for procurements and regulations so that profitable business plans can be created for the energy communities of the future in Sweden.
The total budget for the project is estimated at just over SEK 58 million, of which just under half is financed via Energimyndigheten. The project period is four years.
Energy: Hydrogen
The role of hydrogen in sustainable fossil-free energy development has been widely discussed over the past hundred years. The technology is well known and hydrogen is one of our most energy-rich energy carriers. Hydrogen, for example, is three times as energy-rich as gasoline. Hydrogen has also become quite easy to produce locally, for example through electrolysis of water.
Difficulties with hydrogen have historically been attributed to long-term storage (leakage) and distribution (expensive infrastructure). For daily and seasonal variations, hydrogen storage is now beginning to be seen as a very cost-effective solution, compared with, for example, batteries.
Research companies point to a global hydrogen market in 2040 of 11,000 billion dollars. At the same time, it is predicted that renewable electricity production could receive investments of up to $ 55 billion before 2026 due to the ability of hydrogen to store energy cost-effectively. The EU predicts investment of up to 430 billion Euros by 2030.
The safety of hydrogen use has often been raised as a major problem and the risk of explosion has often dominated discussions. Producing hydrogen from, for example, renewable energy sources (water, wind and solar) could enable efficiency and solve many problems in that the hydrogen can be stored at a low cost compared to, for example, batteries. With regard to the storage of hydrogen gas, rapid technological development of fiber composites for vessels and compressors is underway to raise the pressure to almost 700 Bar.
Projects are underway around the world to enable hydrogen as an energy carrier and storage medium. Of particular interest to ElectriCITY is to study how hydrogen technology can be applied in the residential energy systems sector. Several areas are to be developed, such as integration of own solar cell production with electrolysis equipment, safety around hydrogen storage, local electricity and heat production with the help of fuel cells or Stirling engines and refueling of fuel cell vehicles.
ElectriCITY is now looking for project partners for a joint investment in hydrogen applications in a urban environment living test bed. We want to test and evaluate different concepts regarding the integration of hydrogen in the local energy system.
The aim is for the project is to rapidly increase our knowledge in terms of practically mastering the problems that hydrogen has previously struggled with and at the same time demonstrate the potential technical and economic benefits associated with efficient local small-scale energy systems in an urban environment. The knowledge and experience must be put into use by industry partners and research stakeholders. End users must be trained and the financial and business benefits evaluated from the project.
We are looking for current announcements and if your organization is interested in actively participating in the project, please contact us as soon as possible.
kontakt@electricitystockholm.se
Transporter: EV charging stations and zero zone
A success factor for the project has been joint procurement of EV charging stations and transport services. For example, today we have about 500 charging boxes for electric cars in Sjöstan’s garage. This probably makes us the most ”charged-up” district in Sweden.
The framework agreements concluded for transport services have also yielded very good results. An informal 0-zone for coordinated transport in Sjöstan has been concluded in a framework agreement between about forty housing associations and Veolia and Suez respectively. It has reduced the number of transports in Sjöstan at the same time as it has reduced the costs for the associations. The project is now taking a second step. The purpose is to get transport companies to switch to vehicles that run on renewable energy.
Taxi 0-zone, which means that housing associations and companies have registered their addresses with one or more taxi companies and demanded that driving should primarily take place with electric cars, has been in place for almost two years.
Transport: The smart unmanned loading dock
The rapid digital development has now made it possible for us to build a city where logistics systems and real estate systems communicate. What used to be a difficult challenge can now become a reality with a higher degree of digital maturity.
In 2019, ElectriCITY, together with the state research institute RISE and a large number of private and public stakeholders, established Fastighetsdatalabb. There are currently a number of data-driven projects with over 100 participating organizations and it is an excellent platform for developing data models and collaboration models.
The timing for this is very good, the ”five big carriers” are now open to collaboration in a new way and the property owners have never been so digital and data-driven in their way of thinking. Hammarby Sjöstad has a long tradition of acting as a test bed for innovation projects and it is also a very suitable environment for a pilot of this kind.
We are therefore convinced that this project will deliver clear business and societal benefits for the parties involved. We will also have a clear climate focus and system perspective.
The vision for the project is that the cities will be free from heavy goods transport and that the transports that are still there are efficient and coordinated. This, plus that real estate and transportation systems can talk to each other.
We want to carry out a joint feasibility study and a small pilot project to test solutions that can integrate logistics systems and property data systems. The project will consist of four elements:
- Preliminary study Investigate and map how the different systems work and how coordination could take place.
Map out how digital development, a data-driven approach and real estate / logistics collaboration can contribute. Develop user case (one / several need owners, product owners / e-retailers, e-commerce platforms, private individuals and companies, freight forwarders, property owners). - Integration Development of data models, data exchange, integration systems, datasets, protocols, APIs etc.
- Pilot Implement a limited pilot to gain experience of real installations, such as automatic booking of slot times for loading goods in a property.
- Evaluation Evaluate the pilot and plan a possible continuation.
We are currently building the consortium and invite interested shareholders to participate in the project. We primarily turn to:
- Property owners – who own, develop or manage properties.
- Platform suppliers / Integrators / System owners / System developers – who develop, install or operate systems for the logistics and real estate sector. It can e.g. be (but not limited to) developers of logistics systems, access control systems or other real estate systems.
- Freight forwarders – who transport goods.
In addition to these actors, we of course welcome other companies, interest groups and public actors who may be interested in participating. We will seek current announcements for this project.
Digitization: Fastighetsdatalabbet
ElectriCITY has, together with a number of partners, received a grant from the innovation authority Vinnova to build Sweden’s first real estate data lab. The aim is to create a national platform with data that can be shared between different players in the real estate industry and that can be used to develop new innovative digital services, such as smart control systems that reduce both energy consumption and the residents costs.
Fastighetsdatalabb will primarily cover five business areas:
- Collaboration Through the data lab, the opportunities for collaboration increase, which means that participants can develop more quickly in the data-driven area. We help to refine data and develop tools. We have joint events and workshops where we exchange experiences, learn about new interesting technical solutions and together boost our knowledge.
- Training The data lab will, on the initiative of the participants, offer training in data-driven innovation, data analysis, visualization and tool development. This means that the participants can continue to work on refining, jointly classifying and better understanding their own data. This in turn increases the understanding of the value of data within one’s own organization.
- Develop Through the data lab, organizations can collaborate on tool development, new common interfaces and data models between data in the energy and real estate industry, as well as develop solutions for visualization and analysis of data.
- Projects The data lab will be a platform for implementing projects and running working groups, partly on their own but above all in collaboration with other companies and researchers. This can be, for example, joint development of tools and computer models, but also research projects together with Rise, KTH and others.
- Data The data lab enables data sharing – both open data and information that has been security classified for various reasons. This allows participants to test different models of data in a safe environment.
The project includes various players in the real estate and energy industry, a total of about 40. Included are data owners who deliver data and enable sharing of the information, developers who install and improve the property systems, as well as need owners and stakeholders who, among other things, will act as specifiers of the information.
The main organization responsible for the application and coordinator of the project is the state research institute RISE (Research Institutes of Sweden) which already conducts research, development and application projects in data. ElectriCITY’s main role will be to function as a local test bed, ie to test the new systems in practice.
Digitization:
Property automation system
Today the major suppliers of real estate automation only offer control systems with closed source code, closed hardware, which they themselves own the right to. This means that customers, property owners and managers suffer severely from lock-in effects, which hampers competition and in practice means that there is a complete lack of collaboration and exchange between suppliers. The industry has a great need for innovation and development, which is slowed down by today’s closed systems.
We are looking for participants to carry out a project that will make better use of all the information that is stored in different places. The project aims to create an in-depth collaboration between participating players, as well as create test environments and pilot installations for the industry to start developing and testing your innovative solutions.
The tests can be performed either in a lab or in a real environment. Customers and users will also be involved in the tests. Common business models and strategies will also be developed to ensure continuos management of the innovation / innovations after the end of the project.
We primarily invite the following stakeholders to participate in the project:
- Property owners The benefit for property owners is to be able to have a more open and standardized digital platform for property information and automation. And get fewer lock-in effects, which in the long run means lower costs.
- Equipment suppliers of ventilation, heating, cooling systems, etc. The group stands for the innovation potential around building systems in the project and will be able to take part in the project results in new updated products – both new principles and protocols.
- Platform suppliers Can, for example, be a supplier of SCADA systems and / or PLCs and control modules and who want to take the next step towards a more open platform.
- Installers / operations managers These have an important role in the project because they set up and operate the property systems. The benefit is to be able to find a vendor-neutral platform that facilitates integration, installation and maintenance of the systems.
Developers of data-driven services
Companies that deliver new energy optimization or other real estate services. The benefit is to be able to test concepts and new services in a realistic environment and be involved in setting requirements for the service environment, data access, etc.
In addition to these, we welcome other interest groups and public actors to participate.
RISE will lead and coordinate this Vinnova project in the real estate and energy industry, where ElectriCITY is a valuable project partner as we see synergy effects with the Real Estate Data Lab.
If you are interested in actively participating in the project, please contact us as soon as possible! kontakt@electricitystockholm.se or pia.tiljander@ri.se
Circular economy: Sharing Cities
The test bed, Sharing Cities Stockholm, is built in collaboration between ElectriCITY and RISE, KTH, Ericsson, Skanska, the City of Stockholm, Metasolutions, Evothings and Kamidev.
The collaboration in Sharing Cities Stockholm is about co-creation with residents in Hammarby Sjöstad to achieve the local climate goal: A climate-neutral Sjöstaden by 2030 and at the same time strengthen trust and community, health and well-being.
A total of four test beds will be established in Stockholm, Umeå, Gothenburg and Malmö. They are funded by Vinnova and about 50 partners from cities, academia and civil society, as part of the strategic innovation program Viable Cities. Read more here: www.viablecities.com.
Hammarby Sjöstad 2.0 and Sharing Cities Stockholm have developed a local climate goal, Klimatneutrala Sjöstaden 2030, and the strategy for achieving the goal is to make it easier for residents and other actors in Sjöstaden to:
- share knowledge, experiences and services in the district
- use common resources and premises more – circular economy – for example to increase the utilization of premises, reduce the need for owning a car in the district and also reduce the need for transport to the district (last mile delivery)
- be inspired by sustainable behavior patterns, for example by testing urban farming and new business models for local food production
Hammarby Sjöstad 2.0 runs a number of projects to achieve the local climate goal. An important strategy is to use digitalisation as an accelerator for climate change, for example by developing a neighborhood platform such as a digital twin with real-time information to facilitate sustainable behavioral patterns in everyday life, and also new business models that promote local consumption (thus minimizing transport).
Other strategies are about joint procurement of services and about sharing knowledge between housing associations to streamline energy use within the property, and in the longer term prepare for the establishment of positive energy districts in the district.
Several strategies and concepts have also been developed for increased civic engagement:
- An example is the citizen dialogue series Klimatspanarna with workshops for children and parents on various themes. During the year, we have dealt with the following themes: How do we tackle food waste, How to fix an insect hotel, Do you want to build your own air quality sensor, ”Clean-up” in Sjöstaden. See Klimatspanarnas Facebook page.
- The project also includes activities aimed at residents in selected neighborhoods, for example the pilot project Lånelådan in collaboration with the housing associations Knallen and Holmen. Lånelådan – ”The borrow box” makes it easy for neighbors in the neighborhood to borrow rarely used equipment from each other, in order to reduce the climate impact by borrowing more and buying less.
Researchers from KTH and RISE participate as action researchers, partly by providing methodology for co-creation with local stakeholders. Scenario and design methodology can be mentioned here to investigate the future potential for Sjöstaden 2030. Future scenarios for how to live in the district when the 2030 climate goal with good health and well-being has been reached are used in workshops with residents. Researchers also contribute with exploratory calculations and can visualize the effect of sustainable behavioral patterns that are adopted in one or more neighborhoods: ”If everyone in Sjöstaden would…” – then we succeed in achieving the goal Climate-neutral Sjöstaden 2030!
For contact information and more information about Sharing Cities Stockholm see: www.sharingcities.se. Take part in the global goals here: The UN’s global goals.
Circular economy: Viable Cities
Viable Cities started in 2018 and will run until 2030. The program’s vision is that ”Sweden will inspire and have a leading role in energy and climate work, through smart and sustainable cities”.
Viable Cities works with four focus areas: Lifestyle and Consumption, Planning and Built Environment, Mobility, Integrated Infrastructure.
Viable Cities is a strategic innovation program consisting of societal stakeholders from mainly four groups: business, public sector, research and the non-profit sector. Among the participants are four cities, Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö and Umeå, as well as KTH, Chalmers, Lund University, Umeå University, and RISE. Ericsson, Scania, Skanska and Intel, among others, participate from the business community. The program is funded by the Swedish Energy Agency, Vinnova and Formas.
A strategic innovation program is a long-term investment of up to 12 years where the program is evaluated and granted any continued funding by the relevant authorities in stages of three years.
Read more about Viable Cities by Olga Kordas, KTH, here.
Circular economy: Cultivation + Waste heat = Klimatsmart odling 2.0
The government and the Stockholm region have set a clear goal of increasing the degree of self-sufficiency in food. Today, urban cultivation is not just about traditional open-air cultivation on arable land, but increasingly about innovative climate-proof cultivations in greenhouses. A safe access to fresh and healthy food is absolutely crucial for the city’s safety, attractiveness, economic development and the population’s health and quality of life.
Technological development has created conditions for climate-protected crops in Sweden, which in terms of price can begin to compete with imported vegetables and in some cases Mediterranean fruits, even during the winter. The great benefit of growing food in the city is the closeness to the consumers, labor, unused space and premises as well as large flows of waste heat, water and organic waste that can be used in food production.
The pilot project has been preceded by dialogue between the project’s initial partners, with ElectriCITY as the initiator and Carnegie as the business owner. A building permit application has been submitted to the City of Stockholm. Discussions are ongoing with the state research institute RISE about their role in a separate sub-project as follow-up researchers and documenters of the project. Foodprint Lab, Grow Here and PE Projektengagemang Teknik & Arkitektur is responsible for construction and operation and the Svensk Framtidsbevakning supports documentation and feedback of experience.
Our vision is to increase the degree of innovation in the greenhouse, for example through different and eye-catching designs, new materials and innovative IT solutions. Properly designed, it will be cost efficient. The goal is a test bed that promotes innovations and entrepreneurship in green tech and food tech.
The greenhouse should not only be seen as a production facility, but also as a destination and an eye-catcher in the district, where Mediterranean crops such as citrus fruits and bananas, increase the attraction value and become a magnet for visitors. In other words, a neighborhood and Carnegie Brewery sightsee. Our goal is to spread a model for integrated, circular urban farming to other cities and stakeholders.
The project’s objective is to build, operate and carry out tests of the pilot greenhouse, in a unique collaboration between district developers, food companies, architects, growers and technology consultants, as well as IT, energy and real estate companies.
The project promotes sustainable development through increased local food production with its social, economic and ecological benefits. With enough neighborhood greenhouses, we could supply the entire district with lettuce, herbs, tomatoes, fish and imported fruits – and the energy could come only from the district’s waste heat and solar electricity.
New urban greenhouse cultivation is a rich area for the development of new technology and innovations, new crops and cultivation methods, IT solutions for production and distribution, new business models and the development of new companies.
The pilot greenhouse at Carnegie Brewery has many innovative aspects: renewal of the urban space, innovative lightweight, demountable and mobile greenhouse constructions, the use of low-temperature waste heat, innovative crop selection and possible new business models based on proximity between end consumer and primary producer.
Invitation to ElectriCITY’s members and partners
The project aims to increase the pace of innovation in Klimatsmart Odling 2.0 – ”Climate-smart cultivation 2.0”. The goal is to develop and install innovations and new business models to develop a concept that can be commercialized and disseminated. The ambition is to work with a high degree of digitization, both in the greenhouse and production, but also in sales and logistics for transport and communication with customers.
The solutions can be developed in a cross-industry collaboration between companies in cultivation, IT, construction, property management, installation technology and sensor manufacturers. We see that open platforms enable more players to develop and improve technology and services while avoiding lock-in effects.
The project aims to create an in-depth collaboration between participants, as well as create test environments for the industry to start developing and testing innovative solutions. The tests are carried out in a real environment and involves real customers and users. Business models and strategies will be developed to ensure the dissemination of the innovation / innovations after the end of the project. The collaboration project will last for about 2 years.
We are currently building the consortium and are now inviting relevant actors to participate in this collaborative project, primarily:
- Real estate and energy companies The project benefit is to learn more about Klimatsmart Odling 2.0 and how waste heat flows in an urban symbiosis can recover energy and close the loop within the city.
Installers / operations managers The benefit is to be able to find a supplier-neutral platform that facilitates integration, installation and maintenance of the systems in Klimatsmart Odling 2.0. - Developer of data-driven services Intended supplier of new energy optimization, cultivation or other logistics services. The benefit is to be able to test concepts and new services in a realistic environment.
- Equipment suppliers of cultivation and heating systems, etc. We want to enable more automatic commissioning, configuration and integration of the systems. The benefit is to be able to use some of the project results in new updated products.
In addition to these stakeholders, we welcome interest groups and public actors.