Project GREEN is a nationwide EU regional fund project in which small and medium-sized companies are given an energy screening. SØBY has been part of the project in 2022, and in collaboration with an impartial adviser has located potentials for energy or resource optimization, which are now being implemented.
In 2022, SØBY entered Project GREEN with a desire to have the company's options for energy and resource optimization internally assessed. In the first phase of the project, an energy manager from Business Aalborg visited SØBY, and he made an overview of the company's energy and supply data, compared with potential for efficiency improvement.
EU funding for the development of a greener business model
In second phase of the project, SØBY was approved to receive 50% of EU funding for the development of a green business model in collaboration with an external advisor. This led to a collaboration with ProEnergi, who was entrusted with making concrete recommendations for energy-improving measures visible. The green business model should, among other things, describe:
Here, SØBY is working with energy-improving initiatives.
Mette Frantsen, co-owner, and director at SØBY, explains that Project GREEN was the right way to go, as the company wanted to clarify the possibilities for a long scale energy optimization.
” We wanted a detailed analysis of our consumption, and therefore we needed an adviser with expertise in this area. The new greener business plan has given us several specific recommendations which contribute to energy optimization across the company. The work to implement the recommendations will take time, but we have already replaced all lighting from ordinary fluorescent tubes to LED lighting with sensor control to reduce unnecessary energy consumption. It is expected to contribute with a saving of 55,000 kWh. At the same time, we have installed a high-speed door, which will reduce heat consumption in the 2,400 m2 warehouse, she continues.
In addition, Mette Frantsen mentions that SØBY is working on other recommendations in their business plan. In 2022 the company has among other things initiated a comprehensive digitization project, which in the long term must also be part of the effort to optimize the company's resource and energy consumption.
Fluorescent tubes have been replaced with LED lighting. The expected annual saving will amount to 55,000 kWh. A lightning port has also been installed, which reduces heat consumption in the warehouse.