The piping contractor that built the most energy-smart

Energy and environment

Bryne: Bryne Rør has returned to Hotell Jæren after nearly 50 years. The result: Energy Efficient Building of the Year.

The hotel cut energy and activity usage in half.

– There are a lot of old things that have been replaced, says Børge Haus-Reve. He designed the facility.

– On our part, it was basically the conversion from a gas boiler to an air-water heat pump and the acquisition of a heat pump of a suitable size for rehabilitation and new construction, he says.

In addition, Bryne Rør has done a lot of work with tap water distribution and sanitation.

Joined in 1977

This isn’t the first time Bryne Rør has worked at the local hotel. When it was built in 1977, the project was done by the same plumbing company.

– We found the old drawings again, says academic leader and project manager Helge Nordbrund.

It’s not easy just to start with a building from 1977 with the floor heights of that time.

– Old buildings with large pipes and ducts are often difficult to get into. There was a lot that needed adjusting. But I think it went well, says Burg House Rev.

half energy

Honors in the past suggest he could have taken a little more effort with his synopsis. Nelfo and Elektroforeningen named Hotell Jæren the Energy Smart Building of the Year.

Since its completion last year and the commissioning of the new plant, energy use has fallen by 50 percent, the jurors wrote. At the same time, the air volume has been increased, refrigeration has been added, and the indoor environment has been greatly improved and customers are more satisfied.

Builder P. Undheim was the general contractor on the project.

– We had close cooperation with both automation and ventilation. When there are joint contracts and we are included in the technical package, it requires us to cooperate well. House Reeve says: These are the people we know.

Air and water heat pumps

The intention was to completely renovate all three floors with hotel rooms in 2020. Then came the pandemic. Thus power and ventilation were postponed. Now the hotel is also building 45 new rooms.

– Air and water heat pumps are perfectly suited to the climate here in Jæren. The hotel did a well liquid water appraisal, but they drew the line at air and water. In terms of heating, it’s good, says Burg House Reef.

Therefore, Hotell Jæren’s gas boiler was replaced and an electric boiler with heat pump for ventilation heating and domestic water. The cooling system uses the same heat pump.

The ventilation system was replaced with a new system with rotary recirculation which increased air volume to meet today’s demands. All rooms in the conference portion of the hotel received on-demand management of ventilation, heating, cooling, and lighting based on reservation, attendance, air quality, and temperature. In hotel rooms, heating and ventilation are controlled based on booking, bathroom humidity, and temperature.

about the Nordic countries

Bryne Rør also works in many more places than just Jæren.

– We have a lot of homes and cabins here in the area. But other than that, we’ve built some model hotels around the past, says Helge Nordbrund.

– From August to November we built in Kårstø for Equinor, and last year we built a hotel in Denmark. We follow the contractor, Algeco, who delivers the modular buildings. Then we have to put all the mains in the corridors—heating and sprinklers, he says.

The upshot is that the company needs plumbers who want to travel.

– We have projects in Stjørdal and northern Sweden. If you spend three months on jobs, it’s easier to convince people to travel than with a two-year job. We hire people who travel exclusively, and are happy to take on long-term assignments, says Nordbrund.