By the picturesque Leangenbukta in the charming city of Trondheim, Norway, lies a number of newly built houses and a construction site. But in a few years, the construction site will be replaced by more than 500 homes, transforming the place into a vibrant housing environment. Grundfos has played a part in the project, supplying the buildings with multiple MIXIT units to maximise energy efficiency and contribute to the project’s overall green strategy.
Located just off the serene Trondheim Fjord, the Leangenbukta area offers a bit of everything.
Lovely scenery, a hub for public transport, and its close proximity to the city centre are just a few noteworthy aspects of this area but come 2030, it’ll also be home to a new, vibrant housing area consisting of more than 500 new-build apartments and terrace houses.
In charge of the HVAC and sanitary installation is Bravida, one of Norway’s leading installer companies. With the Leangenbukta project employing a green strategy, hiring the sustainably-thinking Bravida to carry out construction was a no-brainer. Shortly after Bravida took on the project, they were introduced to Grundfos MIXIT – an all-in-one mixing loop which, when combined with high-efficiency Grundfos pumps, increases a building’s energy performance by adapting to the needs within the given building:
"Compared to traditional mixing loop solutions, MIXIT’s true power is that it’s a prefabricated plug-and-play solution. It has a built-in controller, which allows for a much easier installation and integration with the system, and that obviously results in significant savings, both from a financial perspective, but also in terms of how much time the installer has to spend installing it," says Jon Olav Eidsmo, Senior Sales Engineer for MIXIT in Grundfos Norway and Sweden.
Since MIXIT is a prefabricated solution consisting of just the MIXIT unit itself and a circulator pump, it has a smaller carbon footprint than, for instance, a traditional mixing loop consisting of multiple components. This forward-thinking and energy efficiency-focused approach to the design led to MIXIT achieving the coveted EPD (Environmental Production Declaration) certificate in early 2024.
Plug-and-play efficiency
Before the choice fell on MIXIT, Jon Olav Eidsmo and his team engaged in several dialogues with representatives from Bravida to find the right solution. During this period, everything from installation to commissioning and sizing came under the spotlight.
“Leagenbukta consists of quite a few buildings, so in that sense, MIXIT is a great solution as it is much more compact than traditional mixing loop solutions, so, naturally, you save a lot of space. But it also frees you of a lot of hassle, since you only have to buy one component, set it up, and then it’s ready to go. Other solutions require multiple components that all need to be programmed and wired to work together. It takes a lot of time. MIXIT is just plug and play and that’s where it really makes sense for us,” says Jørn Henrik Fiveltun, Project Manager at Bravida.
Given its ability to adjust the flow and temperature according to needs, MIXIT creates a much more even distribution, ensuring that every building in the complex gets the correct level of heat, which is adjusted according to the outside temperature. According to Jørn Henrik Fiveltun, this is one of the core reasons why MIXIT is the way to go:
“Simply put, you enter your setpoint temperature, and the MIXIT will adapt to the building’s needs. It’s genius yet incredibly simple. Thanks to this kind of temperature control, it means that we can use smaller pipes and fewer parts are required, which in many ways also makes MIXIT an environmentally conscious choice” he says.
It’s no secret that MIXIT truly excels in terms of efficiency, but its user-friendliness goes a long way, too. For instance, its built-in controller ensures that all functions, temperature measurements, commissioning, and other setpoints are accessible right at your fingertips, either via BMS, the Grundfos GO app, or Grundfos Connect. Because of this, there is no need for a system integrator to ensure that everything is working, which ultimately reduces installation and maintenance costs.
Future-proof and ready to go
As of September 2024, 8 MIXIT units have been installed at Leangenbukta with a further two in the pipeline, and possibly even six more after that. According to Jon Olav Eidsmo, it proves that the all-in-one MIXIT solution is the mixing loop solution of the future:
“This is our first MIXIT order in Norway. And it’s a pretty significant one, too. I think it’s a pretty exciting and bold move on Bravida’s side that they’ve opted for our MIXIT solution instead of an old-fashioned, traditional mixing loop. It speaks volumes of their forward-thinking nature, but it also highlights how Grundfos' brand is associated with high quality and efficiency", he says.
Teamwork makes the dream work
Although this is an ongoing project, it's been clear from the beginning that Grundfos and Bravida have had great joy in assisting each other in ways big and small:
"Throughout the process, we've had a great back-and-forth conversation with Jon Olav and Grundfos. Whenever there has been the slightest issue with anything, he's taken the time to drop by and help us iron it out. So that's great and we're looking forward to working together throughout the rest of the project, says Jørn Henrik Fiveltun.
When construction concludes in 2030, Leangenbukta will consist of 500 state-of-the-art apartments and townhouses. According to Jon Olav Eidsmo, there is one thing in particular that the new homeowners can look forward to:
"Norway can be notoriously cold and us Norwegians like to stay warm. So, floor heating in the bathroom is a must – even during the summer! With MIXIT, you'll get it without paying a fortune", he says with a smile.
We're looking forward to working together throughout the rest of the project.