Growing plants all depends on the perfect climate. And if plants benefit from climate screens, why not the computers – and the employees – in a big office building? At KMD, one of the biggest IT companies in Denmark, they recently got the HS2 system of Novavert installed. And that was, according to Niels Lindhardt of Danish installer Flexgardin, quite a challenging job.
Finding a special lift
“An office is no greenhouse", Niels confirms straight away. The company is used to installing screens in greenhouses and on agricultural projects - it's something they have been doing for decades by now. However an office building proved to be a different challenge - especially when over 3000 people are located in there.
"For example, we had to find a lift that could fit into the corridors and that could reach the ceiling which is in some places 12 meters above the floor - significantly higher than most greenhouses. We found it at a Dutch rental company", he says. Then there's the safety matter: the IT company owning the building has strict secure and safety rules, requiring all Flexgardin employees to be certified as well. "At least now we know we're governmental approved", he laughs.
According to Niclas Heescher with Novavert, this is by far not the first project without horticultural background and in bigger heights: ”We have a number of similar systems in atriums in schools or with a huge insurance company in 15m height and complex design. Every project is different but you know you end up having an extremely reliable solution.”
Reliable, good-looking system
But enough with the side stories, let's talk technique. It was engineering company Cowi that initially got the job to change all the cables in the office building. They called Flexgardin to help them out and soon they became part of the project. “We replaced the old screens system with a new HS2 system. We advised the HS2 system of Novavert, because KMD wanted a reliable system that keeps temperatures down and also looks nice."
"The folding screens of the HS2 system look nice and offer good ventilation as well as reflection of the sun. To make sure the system was strong and stable enough, we used synchronous belts instead of chains.” Niclas adds: ”This is especially important since some sections retract almost 8m and this would have required very bulky cable drums. The belts offer a lot of advantages and the nicer look is a positive side effect.”
New climate control
The screens can be controlled with a computer system well known from the horticultural industry: a Senmatic one. “Senmatic has developed the system for the greenhouse that controls humidity and temperature. That’s what they wanted here as well. The horticultural industry has great solutions for climate control - no use in inventing the wheel twice."
To control all the screens installed, around 50 motors were used - an amount that can be used in a greenhouse to control many hectares. "In a greenhouse we can operate dozens of hectares with that amount, but here we needed them because the screens at every window had to be controlled separately.”
It was quite a challenge to calculate all the requirements and Niels spent some time on the phone with Niclas to calculate everything through. "We cooperate really well and fortunately the system works perfectly by now - a great benefit since the old system didn't function properly for years. Thanks to the durability of this one, we know this one will last."
More uses for horticultural screens
With one office down, another building of the same company is to be adjusted with the screen & climate system. Is there more to come? Niels sees the horticultural systems have a lot of potential outside the farms as well. “Right now we are doing some projects for the forest industry. We install darkening screens, for outside on the fields, as the small trees need two weeks of darkness. This forest industry is a big industry in Sweden and Norway."
Also the HS2 system is used in applications that wouldn't come to your mind directly. Outdoors for example, for people that are looking for a place to sit outside. "The HS2 system is robust and can handle strong wind and weather. And once the time has come, each system can be easily replaced and from a single spot only so you do not need to move all your plants and/or desks.”
For more information:Novavert GmbH & Co.KG
Niclas Heescher
Hansaring 146
48268 Greven
Germany
www.novavert.com
www.youtube.com/novavert
[email protected]
