Riksbyggen's New AI Energy Calculator Drives Significant Savings for Swedish Housing Cooperatives

Riksbyggen has launched an innovative AI-driven energy calculator designed to help Swedish housing cooperatives (BRFs) rapidly identify their potential energy savings amid rising costs for electricity and district heating. The tool provides instant estimates, calculating possible reductions in kilowatt-hours and Swedish kronor within just three seconds, enabling cooperatives to make quicker, more informed energy decisions.

One notable example is BRF Siktet in Västervik, which cut its energy consumption by 400,000 kWh and saved around 180,000 SEK in a single year through energy optimization services from Riksbyggen. Another success story comes from BRF Rörestorpshus 2 in Värnamo, which saved an impressive 1.7 million SEK annually by adopting Riksbyggen’s Energy Optimization Plus service. These savings helped finance significant renovations, such as window replacements for 201 apartments, without increasing residents’ fees beyond regular increments.

Rasmus Widlund, an energy engineer at Riksbyggen, explained that the AI technology typically enables housing cooperatives to save between 15% and 20% of heating energy, with the investment often recouped within a few years. He emphasized the importance of developing an energy plan and tackling issues in heating and ventilation control to unlock these efficiencies. Additionally, introducing individual metering for hot water usage can reduce consumption by about 30%, yielding further financial benefits.

This new service intends to simplify energy management for housing cooperative boards, many of whom find the area complex and challenging. By entering their cooperative's name into the free calculator, boards receive tailored saving estimates immediately, which can serve as a pivotal step towards proactive energy management.

With rising energy expenses causing concern for many cooperatives, Riksbyggen's energy calculator and associated optimization services offer timely, actionable solutions that not only cut costs but also improve indoor climates by stabilizing temperature fluctuations and reducing resident complaints. The tool is freely available to all housing cooperatives in Sweden, with options ranging from AI-powered optimization to comprehensive assessments by energy engineers, especially beneficial for older properties.

As many boards are often surprised by the scale of the potential savings revealed, the calculator is proving to be a valuable wake-up call encouraging greater energy awareness and management across Sweden's cooperative housing sector.