AI-controlled heating delivers good results in Borås

Bostäder i Borås is now using AI-based heating control in a growing part of its property portfolio. The aim is better control of the heating, a more even indoor climate in the apartments and lower energy use at the same time.

- Heating systems in blocks of flats are complex, says Emil Bergqvist, technical director at Bostäder i Borås. Even when we think a problem has been fixed, things can look different in the apartments. AI gives us completely new ways to follow and control the heating more accurately.

Traditional heating control often relies on the system reacting only once the temperature has already changed. That makes it hard to pick up variations between different parts of a property and to act in time. With AI-based control, large amounts of data are analysed in real time, including weather forecasts, indoor temperatures and how the buildings behave over time. That makes it possible to control the heating more proactively.

- Buildings have an inertia that we do not always make full use of in traditional control, says Emil Bergqvist. AI helps us stay a step ahead, instead of chasing the temperature after the event.

The work on AI-controlled heating began on a small scale, with six properties connected to test the technology. To take it further, an energy saving of at least five per cent was required. The outcome was clear: the average energy saving came to almost seven per cent.

- The result showed that the technology works in practice and gave us a good enough basis for deciding to scale up, says Emil Bergqvist.

During the autumn the AI project was therefore extended to a further 1000 apartments, and in 2026 another 1000 apartments are planned to be connected. At present around 30 properties are active in the system.

- An even, stable indoor climate is fundamental to a secure home. With AI we can both reduce energy use and get better at making sure the temperature is right and more even where people actually live, says Emil Bergqvist.

In the long run, the goal is for most of the Bostäder i Borås portfolio to have AI-controlled heating. The company also sees opportunities to use similar technology in more parts of its property operations.