From increased production to lower energy use

For many companies, the energy transition begins with a fairly simple question: How do we use energy today, and what can we do differently? For SwedFoam Development, a planned increase in production served as the starting point for reviewing the company’s energy use.

SwedFoam is a small company with three employees in Tidaholm. It develops and manufactures lightweight materials and components for the automotive industry, among others. When the company faced increased production and investments in new machinery, questions arose about how energy consumption would be affected and how the company could keep costs down.

“With support from the ‘Förnybart i Väst’ project, we were able to help SwedFoam gain a better understanding of how energy was being used in its operations. For many companies, it can be difficult to know where to start, and an energy analysis can be a good first step toward identifying opportunities to improve efficiency and keep costs down,” says Linnea Assmundson, project manager at West Sweden Energy Agency, part of Innovatum Science Park.

An energy analysis showed the way

An energy analysis was conducted in collaboration with West Sweden Energy Agency . It provided the company with a clearer picture of its energy and power consumption and identified opportunities to improve energy efficiency.

Based on the analysis, SwedFoam was able, among other things, to lower its main circuit breaker rating. Per Jonsson at SwedFoam explains that they are now monitoring their consumption to see if there is an opportunity to lower the rating even further, as this would result in lower fixed costs.

“We wanted to get a better handle on where we’d end up as production increased and we invested in new machinery. The analysis gave us a solid foundation for determining what we could do about our energy and power consumption,” says Per Jonsson of SwedFoam Development.

The Changing Needs of Businesses

SwedFoam’s work is an example of how West Sweden Energy Agency , as part of Innovatum Science Park, can support companies through projects such as “Förnybart i Väst.” For three years, the project has offered small and medium-sized enterprises in Västra Götaland and Halland support in understanding their energy use, identifying opportunities, and moving forward with measures.

– “It’s important to show that the energy transition doesn’t have to start with major investments. It begins with knowledge, analysis, and a first step—big or small—to make energy efficiency a natural part of our operations,” says Christoffer Askerlund, project manager at West Sweden Energy Agency.

It has become clear that interest in reviewing one’s energy use is linked to energy prices. Demand for information on energy efficiency, self-generated electricity, and battery storage increases when electricity prices are high.

Companies’ concerns have also changed. Today, the focus is increasingly on understanding their own energy consumption and its impact in order to identify measures that are appropriate for their specific operations.

“The changes and decisions that the companies have implemented or will implement—and that will then become part of their ongoing operations—will remain in place even after we have completed our work with them,” says Linnea Assmundson.

Experiences That Live On

For SwedFoam, this involves, among other things, continuing to monitor energy consumption and identifying what additional measures might be appropriate.

For other companies, the next step may look completely different. It could involve reducing energy consumption, reviewing power usage, generating more of their own electricity, or planning for future investments.

“When companies take a more strategic approach to energy, they not only strengthen their energy and sustainability efforts, but also enhance their competitiveness and resilience for the future,” concludes Linnea Assmundson.

"Renewable Energy in the West" is funded by the EU through the ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) and the Västra Götaland Region.

West Sweden Energy Agency is part of Innovatum Science Park.