Brinova gets easy data collection, regardless of provider

Brinova owns, develops, and manages rental properties and community facilities in southern Sweden. Since the start back in 2016, the number of properties in Brinova’s portfolio has more than quadrupled. Managing this growth requires efficient solutions, and since the Energy Management Team consists of Energy Strategist Ulf Alexandersson alone, smart solutions are needed to execute all planned projects efficiently. 

– Metry’s service is indispensable for us. It would be a full-time job just to collect the data. The little manual work I do easily turns into a couple of workdays each month, and that’s only for data collection, says Ulf Alexandersson.

Just knowing where the data is and keeping track of login credentials for all utility companies requires a “comprehensive Excel,” according to Ulf. Without automation, much time would be spent on administrative hassles, communication with utility companies, and hunting for missing data.With Metry, that time can be spent on analysis and follow-up. And if there’s something Ulf Alexandersson knows how to work with, it’s numbers.

Focus on energy-efficient investments

With current energy prices, every kilowatt counts. Over the past year, Brinova has made significant savings on LED projects and plans to further invest in energy efficiency, such as replacing ventilation units. When the going gets tough, the tough get going, or as Ulf puts it: “You don’t brake in an uphill slope”. When costs rise, there are significant opportunities to make a difference – if you have data to support the initiatives.

– Input data is the most crucial thing we have. You can guess a lot, but when it comes to the financial bottom line, you don’t want to guess, you want to know. If, with the data, you can show a payback period of 3-4 years, there’s no hesitation in my world, says Ulf Alexandersson.

Easy data collection, regardless of provider

If you’ve ever worked with energy management, you know how hard it can be to collect accurate consumption data. Every utility company has its own customer portals, and each hardware provider has different protocols for transmitting data. The data is all over the place. With Metry’s help, Brinova has been able to gather all data on electricity, heating, and gas from various utility companies and meters.

– With Metry, we get everything via one tool – and they’ve never fallen short. Regardless of utility provider or hardware supplier, we get the data collected, says Ulf Alexandersson.

The growth in Brinova’s portfolio has come, among other things, through the acquisition of other companies. Thanks to Metry, Brinova has been able to get a running start on its new assets, through quick connections of new data sources and access to historical meter values.

– When we buy entire companies, the collection must be up and running almost immediately. The more historical data I have, the easier it is to start optimising the building from day one. Thanks to Metry, it has worked great, says Ulf Alexandersson.

Data collection for utility billing and solar panels

In addition to budgeting and energy optimization, Brinova uses its energy data to bill their tenants. In all new construction, Brinova works on implementing individual metering and billing of its tenants’ electricity consumption, as well as hot and cold water. With Metry’s help, they have been able to collect this data in the same way they collect data from utility companies, ensuring the accuracy of the data.

– It is a huge saving, both in money and time, to avoid dealing with different systems. And it would require many man-hours to correct things if something goes wrong. It is crucial to have accurate information about tenants’ actual consumption because that’s what we bill them for, says Ulf Alexandersson.

In addition to utility billing, Brinova is also looking into collecting data from solar panels. Solar panels are still somewhat in their infancy; there are no standards for protocols or fixed forms of collection, but it varies from provider to provider. With Metry’s help, Brinova is working on a solution to easily collect data on its solar panel installations.

– We want to know what the panels produce, what we send back to the grid, and what we use in our buildings. It is crucial to measure both in terms of energy and finances, and of course, for sustainability purposes. We want to ensure that we really use the energy as much as possible in our own buildings, says Ulf Alexandersson.