Case
Future-proofing an architectural gem with next-level efficiency and comfort
Just north of the Danish capital of Copenhagen lies the iconic Søllerød Park. Consisting of 19 buildings, this picturesque residential area was built in the 1950s, which many consider to be the golden era of Danish architecture. Fast-forward 70 years and the park remains a modern architectural classic. A classic which boasts 21st century efficiency thanks to Grundfos MIXIT.
I think I speak on behalf of everyone here when I say that I can’t wait to see what the future holds for us with MIXIT.
Tucked in among majestic, towering trees and a pristine, crystal-clear lake, each of the 19 buildings in Søllerød Park is carefully built and placed in a manner that respects both terrain and vegetation, allowing residents to enjoy the beautiful surroundings from the comfort of their homes.
Across Søllerød Park, you can sense that a generational shift is taking place. Families that moved in way back in the 70s and 80s are starting to sell, making room for this generation’s young families. Prams, children enjoying the park’s play areas, and similarly aged parents sharing conversations over cups of coffee are everyday sights in Søllerød Park, which is a mere 30-minute drive from Copenhagen.
Lars Mølbak, Operational Manager and Thomas Ottesen, Caretaker are part of a service team, working on-site day in day out to ensure that everything is always in working order for Søllerød Park’s residents:
- A lot of the park's residents have moved here from Copenhagen. I think it's comforting for them that the service team is easy to contact, and that the facilities, water, heating etc. always work consistently. It's nice for us, too, as we obviously want to make Søllerød Park the best possible place to live, says Lars Mølbak.
The situation
Like any residential building, however, it’s essential to ensure that its operation is as efficient as possible. One critical point on that agenda was to upgrade the old and inefficient mixing loops spread across the park’s 19 buildings.
- We were dealing with some really old mixing loops. And they were all different! It made it incredibly difficult to remember how to control each of them. Not just for me, but also for any external installers working on them. They were old, so they were quite prone to issues and failures. You can imagine how quickly it can add up, not just in terms of costs, but also in terms of wasted time, says Thomas Ottesen who spent several hours every single day regulating the various mixing loops to ensure the best possible performance.
These mixing loops also had an effect on Søllerød Park’s residents, who would be supplied with a level of heating which wasn’t set according to the outside temperature. Often, residents would experience that their radiators became piping hot, causing a great deal of discomfort, which, naturally, led to complaints.
The solution
It didn’t take long for Thomas Ottesen to realise that the situation was becoming unsustainable. But it wasn’t until Boligforeningens Dag, an exhibition for housing associations and property owners’ associations, which took place in March 2023, that the team got a first-hand look at what would become the solution to their problem.
Grundfos was present at the exhibition, demonstrating, among other things, MIXIT – an all-in-one mixing loop solution, designed to simplify commissioning and balancing and, ultimately, increase the energy efficiency of a building.
Lars Mølbak attended the exhibition, and MIXIT was one of the main things that caught his attention that day.
For a long time, we had talked about going for the safe choice in terms of replacing our old mixing loops, but when I saw MIXIT and chatted to Grundfos about it, it became clear to me that these guys were seriously onto something. This wasn’t just any old mixing loop solution, this was the first of its kind. That was really interesting, he says.
A solution designed for the future
Lars Mølbak conferred with Thomas Ottesen and it didn’t take long for them to agree that MIXIT was the solution they needed at Søllerød Park. Not just for now, but also for years to come:
- It’s an all-in-one unit and that just makes everything so much easier. But the fact that it’s future-proof, which is so important when you’re dealing with technology, really sealed the deal for us. Having the chance to add more components or get more features via a software update in the future is really exciting. On top of that, we were, of course, completely calm because this is a Grundfos solution – and we knew that Grundfos is known for its high quality. It’s nice to sit back and reflect on the decision-making process today, knowing that we made the right decision, Thomas Ottesen says with a smile.
Søllerød Park ordered 19 MIXIT solutions from Grundfos, one for each of its 19 blocks. During the autumn of 2023, these 19 MIXIT solutions were installed in as little as 14 days. A mightily impressive turnaround, showcasing just how easy MIXIT is to install and set up.
The outcome
At the time of writing, the installation was concluded less than six months ago, so it’s too early to share any specific results or outcomes. However, according to Lars Mølbak, the estimated payback time is as little as five years:
- That’s based on our calculation. But this is about so much more than financial savings. It’s also about quality of life and comfort for the residents. Not to mention for Thomas and myself, too. With MIXIT, Grundfos has provided us with a solution which makes life easier for ourselves and the residents, he says.
Now that all 19 buildings are equipped with MIXIT, Thomas Ottesen no longer has to attend to sudden, unforeseen problems. And if anything does occur, he will be warned in advance.
- There are so many areas in which MIXIT benefits us all out here. Søllerød Park saves money, the installer saves time, there are significant energy savings, comfort is increased, it’s easy to install and control, it doesn’t take up much space, I could go on and on! Of course, it’s also massively important that it’s future-proof. I think I speak on behalf of everyone here when I say that I can’t wait to see what the future holds for us with MIXIT, he explains.
Grundfos provided
19 x MIXIT units