Optimal comfort with minimal energy consumption
In the FNS partner interviews, we feature a partner every week. Our partners give insight into the developments and innovations within their company and their role in 6G Future Network Services.
This time, we spoke to Serge de Mul, founder and owner of Assen-based IT company Ultraware, from where he and his team provide IT services to a variety of clients across the Netherlands. Besides being a software developer, Serge is passionate and ambitious about reducing energy consumption, both privately and at Ultraware and, in fact, throughout society. In order to contribute to the energy transition at a higher level - 'because there is still a world to win' - Serge decided to go a step further: with the spin-off Comforest, he ensures sustainability in the market with his holistic methodology. We spoke to Serge in May 2024 about Comforest in relation to FNS.
The greenest business premises in Assen
The energy-positive business premises, which he purchased in 2014 and where he immediately started making them more sustainable, make Serge very happy. Ultraware and Comforest's premises on the Lauwers in Assen were built in 1998. Thanks to Comforest's technology, the building received the greenest energy label in 2022; A+++++. The building is completely natural gas-free. Every room is equipped with presence sensors and smart switches, which have significantly reduced energy consumption. The energy still required is generated by solar panels on the roof. The output of the panels is so high that the heat pump can also be controlled with ease, so that the building is always comfortably heated. And then we still have energy to spare. It's not only an energy-neutral building, but an energy-positive building. "Wonderful, energy label A with five pluses, but I don't really like energy labels," laughs Serge, "it's all very theoretical. We mainly look at reality, not at labels."
Sustainability journey
Serge explains more about his approach to sustainability: "My sustainability journey started when I built my own house, and I continued that journey in this building. Initially I tried this with a standard building management system, but I quickly came to the conclusion that it was expensive and inflexible. From that frustration, we decided to do it ourselves. Smarter and better. Together with the Hanzehogeschool, we then started a project under the banner of ID3AS. ID3AS is an applied research and development initiative in the field of sensor technology and sensor applications in the German-Dutch border region. In the end, we managed to save 75% energy in this building."
This involved looking at the overall picture: the building's existing capabilities and achievable savings in energy consumption, as well as comfort for employees.
Comforest's newly developed system - after the pilot of its own premises - is now in use at several premises, such as the UMCG ambulance station and the IT Hub in Hoogeveen, now totalling six premises. "They are the ambitious companies we work with, and at the moment I am also building another new sustainable home for my children," adds Serge proudly.
From building management system to energy management system
The work of Serge and his still young company Comforest is focused on delivering a positive impact on both the environment and society. "There are a lot of irregularities in office buildings and there is still fear among installation companies and contractors. That's where we can still add a lot of sustainability with our building management system, or rather our smart energy management system."
Comforest offers subscriptions that include electronics, software and monitoring. This hardware is produced in the Northern Netherlands and designed by partner Eric van der Horst of Sinewave, who is also housed in the building on the Lauwers. So together they form a real Living Lab where hundreds of visitors come to take a look every year.
Energy transition and 6G
Comforest is work package lead of work package 3.3. Serge says this is mainly about finding answers to the question of what the energy transition needs from mobile networks. "This piece we need to explore further together. Work package 3 develops a demonstrator for real-time control of power networks, building on the reliability and large number of measurement and control points that 6G can offer. Real-time control is the answer to the increased dynamics in the electricity network: peaks in usage and in (local) generation increasingly lead to short- and long-term capacity problems. Specifically, we will add intelligent energy management to our own building management system, we are already taking the first steps there to get more data."
Ambition
Serge concludes: "With Comforest, we are not only focusing on (Northern) Netherlands, but want to expand throughout Europe. Especially given the Green Deal to tackle climate change and make the economy sustainable. We are responding well to this; for example, we are already prepared for the new legislation on the maximum consumption of 70 kWh/m2 in office buildings. Our current focus is still on the first ten premises, then we want to build on that. A next step is then to certify installers. Making an impact is what ultimately matters to us, and we will only have that if we become sustainable on a massive scale.