Environmental Sustainability

Klimaträtt – See, understand, and change your daily climate impact

The key question posed in the project was: Can we help our customers reduce their climate footprint in a way that doesn’t make them feel that they are making sacrifices or increase their costs, and at the same time make it commercially viable for the participating companies?

The first step and the unique feature of the project was to accomplish this by developing an application that could give people direct and detailed feedback on their climate footprint.

Besides Uppsalahem and ICA the partners in the KlimaträttProject are Chalmers University of Technology, WWF, Sunfleet, UL, ICA Bank, ICA Supermarket Torgkassen, Auto Mile, Uppsala Municipality and Energy Cloud. The development of the app was supported by Vinnova, Sweden’s innovation agency.

ÖBO Climate Concept

The methods adopted by ÖBO have developed into a unique concept. It involves a journey to sustainable energy efficiency improvements, with valuable benefits along the way including reduced energy consumption, lower operating costs, reduced  environmental impact, increased property values , standard solutions that provide minimal constrictions and more independence, a monitoring model that reduces the risk of degeneration, and goodwill – all brand-strengthening .

There are already many solutions included in the ÖBO Concept, developed successively by different suppliers where ÖBO is the client. These solutions include :

• Systems for measurement and control with central data management
• Forecast-based control of heating
• Invoicing based on consumption
• Customer application to “monitor my own consumption”
• Lighting control and central lighting relay
• Ventilation control
• Laundry rooms with “pay-as -you-go” for energy consumption
• Controlled engine pre heaters
• Systems for the reporting and monitoring of prioritised measures to be taken, along with visualisation of real-time data
• Monitoring of the energy performance of construction contractors and builders

The development of new solutions is always ongoing, and at the moment ÖBO’s focus is on improving heating efficiency.

Sha.Re – Sharing Refurbishment

In particular, the works included (in many sites) the installation of new facades in order to get the thermal insulation of walls and the thermal refurbishment of roofs, substitution of old windows with new more environmental performing ones, the substitution of old individual heating system with district heating networks and/or installing new high performing heating plant, most of them using natural gas and in two cases using renewable sources. Furthermore, the project included the installation of solar plant for the production of heat water. Other innovative actions included the installation of thermal pumps.

Other issues addressed by the works included the measurement of both cold and hot water consumption and of the energy devoted to heat the volumes.

YouSuAL – Young Sustainability Ambassadors of Linköping

Through education and new experiences we increased the sustainability awareness amongst our tenants in general but more specific amongst our Young Ambassadors; this also increased skills which they can put into their CV.

It is a long- term perspective, YouSuAL’s objectives are to:

• Reduce the total amount of household garbage per apartment.
• Increase the percentage of recyclable materials per apartment.
• Increase the thrive and sense of security and safety amongst tenants in the area.
• Reduced cost of maintenance for Stångåstaden, Tekniska Verken och Linköpings kommun (cost for graffiti removal, cleaning sewers, picking up trash etc.).
• Increase youth’s confidence for the future and for themselves, through offering an educational and active free time where they meet inspiring role models.

Vivez L’eco-Logis – An educational apartment aimed at reducing heating costs

It also helps to build good contact between the inhabitants (Vosgelis tenants and others) and the stakeholders in efforts to reduce energy prices. The apartment, which is located in the heart of a priority district of the town, allows us to meet the needs of the inhabitants in terms of accompaniment in the control of their expenses and to return purchasing power.

The project also encouraged the training of young job seekers to act as educational staff of the apartment: two leaders were recruited by Face Vosges and were able to learn the new professions as energy training instructors.

There are three main aims to this project: controlling energy, the fight against social isolation and supporting the tenants in employment, training, integration and services.

Sustainable Nordost

Despite communicative efforts, residents do not change their behaviour. In order to achieve behavioural change, it is beneficial to work on behavioural analytical knowledge, insight and methods. As we work in an area of high ethnic diversity, it becomes an extra dimension to understand more of cultural differences, what are the obstacles to the desired behavior and what actions are successful. Knowledge, insight and proper behaviour when it comes to sorting different kinds of waste is an important step in entering Swedish society. These types of behavioural change projects can therefore also contribute to integration as it helps newcomers to enter society.

We obtained an inventory of what obstacles there are to the desired behaviour and therefoe asked the residents in the area. We did this both through workshops and visiting the tenants at home. Based on these obstacles, action proposals are suggested, to a certain extent about information, but also about completely other aspects such as:

• Social control and attendance,
• Consequences (positive but to some extent also negative)
• Physical design of recycling rooms (bright, safe, clear),
• Participation, relationships.

An important action is to employ two environmental educationalists in the area. We have seen that their presence (visibility, communication, feedback, social control, relationship building, etc.) has had a positive effect on the sorting behaviour.

Aspö Eko-logi

For example, the irrigation system that captures the rainwater and use it for watering the plants, the low energy consumption for heating the apartments and the possibility to switch all electronic devices off, with a power button when leaving your apartment. Combined with possibilities to grow your own vegetables, being close to nature, the farm animals and the activities given at Aspö this is definitely something unique and out of the ordinary.

There are many who builds with the ecological sustainability in mind, but it is the very high demands set on this project and the project in whole that is exceptional – we’re creating a model for the ecological ideal society.

Become a Recycler

An important part is to focus on children. The goal is to establish a sustainable attitude towards recycling and garbage disposal from an early age. Therefore the activities during the campaign are laid out for both adults and children. We have sent out postcards, invited tenants to lectures and held a contest and event for our tenants and children. More practical actions include enable an easier way to access recycling facilities for tenants.

Darmstadt-Arheilgen, Rodgaustraße – construction 32 public subsidized apartments

A special feature of the residential complex is it´s high energy efficiency. All 32 apartments are barrier-free, the apartment sizes are between 53 and 97 square meters. The housing mix – large apartments next to small apartments – has been designed so that it can be used for multi-generation living. All apartments are equipped with balcony, apartments on the ground floor have terraces.

Tenants who are closely associated with the neighborhood have the opportunity to rent a budget apartment. In addition, in the construction project value was placed on participation of the residents of the neighborhood. In this way, there was a high level of acceptance for this project right from the start. A care by social facilities is given locally for all tenants in the neighborhood. The portfolio of social services includes marriage advice as well as school care.

Community Gardens

Run by gardening groups of local people and supported by our community centres, we’re proud of the innovative projects that have come out of our gardens. Rescued battery hens, bees producing our very own Poplar Honey, and BBQs and events bringing the community together: all thanks to the 15 beautiful gardens maintained around our estates.

The Energy Ambassador!

The Energy ambassador helps us to develop and structure our communication strategy within the local neighborhoods. They are important emissaries for our energy conservation initiatives –Energikoll-and even participate in various neighborhood gatherings and events that have a climate/energy theme.

Residential Area Concept for Rintheimer Feld

As part of developing this residential area, urban conceptual, urban political, ecological, economic, social and societal aspects will be taken into account until 2018. The foundation is the integrated residential area concept, “Sustainable Rintheim”, which includes a living space development, infrastructure and residential environment concept.

Garden City Drewitz

Drewitz district arose in the late 1980’s as one of the GDR’s last urban development areas. Here, on a surface area of 38 hectares, about 5,500 people live in 3,000 flats.

ProPotsdam developed in 2009 a long-term strategy for Potsdam´s quarter “Drewitz” including the action fields of city planning, energy, traffic, climate protection and participation of residents. A part of the concept was the re-landscaping of the central alley to a park which has already been realized. All buildings should be renovated by the end of 2025.